On December 27, 2012, I began this blog.
The me that started Tales of Stitcher was afraid of technology—I still used a flip phone! I was incredibly nervous about sharing my life and my work in such a public format. Since then, the world has changed dramatically. Even dogs and cats have social media accounts.
Blog reading has decreased, but I don’t think that means that blogs aren’t important. Committing to writing a blog is one of the best things I have done for my career as a quilt maker, writer, and teacher. Want to get clear on your life? Write a blog.
Here are the stats of my blog as of today.
2012— 3 Posts 32 Visitors 129 Views
2013— 115 Posts 8,398 Visitors 35,231 Views
2014— 102 Posts 20,917 Visitors 60,815 Views
2015— 69 Posts 27,688 Visitors 82,762 Views
2016— 49 Posts 22,701 Visitors 65,741 Views
2017— 38 Posts 28,033 Visitors 68,324 Views
2018— 28 Posts 40,137 Visitors 99,667 Views
2019— 28 Posts 29,292 Visitors 72,441 Views
I scrambled to write posts this year, but I still managed to write 28—the same amount I wrote in 2018.
As I do every year for my blog anniversary, I’d like to share the top ten most read posts of the year. This list includes posts from previous years that continue to get attention. My hope is that you will find a post you haven’t read before and click the link to read it.
10. June 2019—Wild Ride
Many of my blog posts this past year were simply sharing the time line of my quilting adventures. This is a good example of that.
9. The Pieced Canvas
This post shares the story of my small quilt exhibition at the lovely Visions Art Musuem—Contemporary Quilts + Textiles in San Diego, California.
8. An Update—Summer 2019
Here I share more stories about being a quilt teacher on the road.
7. Use Your Words (Carefully)
I continue to be a part of the international art quilt group Cloth in Common. This blog post is about one of the quilts I made in response to our bi-monthly quilt prompt.
6. The Wrangell Mountains Center
I have been on the board of the Wrangell Mountains Center for twelve years. We are a small non-profit located in the Wrangell St. Elias National Park. We are dedicated to connecting people to wildlands through art, science, and education. I hope you will take a peak at this post to see why I love this organization so much, and if you are feeling generous, we are in the middle of our end of the year giving campaign.
5. New Quilts 2018
This is an older post about new quilts from 2018. It features images of Bear Fence—an award winning and personal favorite quilt.
4. Improv Triangles—Perfectly Pointless
In this blog post, I give a tutorial on creating improv flying geese units and how to use them in your quilts.
3. PASSION AND PROPORTION
Many of you were interested in this blog post which shares the work of Nancy Crow students living in New Zealand and Australia. It was a great exhibition, and I am super happy to have been able to share it with the larger quilting world.
2. Fleece Flannel Blankets
I don’t think I will ever be able to write a new blog post that will kick number #1 and #2 out of their places. Fleece Flannel Blankets are the best gift ever, and this is a tutorial on how to make them.
1. The Perfect Beginner’s Top Down Sweater
My most popular blog post ever is not even about quilting! I suppose it fills a niche in the blogging world. It has been number #1 or #2 for the past three years.
HONORABLE MENTION
I can’t leave this year behind without sharing the blog post IQF Rising Star 2019. Having my quilts–from the first one to recent works–shown together at the International Quilt Festival in Houston was an exceptional experience.
If you think this was fun, I invite you to check out my previous Happy Anniversary Posts. Believe it or not, I have written a top ten post every year since I began this blog.
Happy Anniversary 2018
Happy Anniversary 2017
Happy Anniversary 2016
Happy Anniversary 2015
Happy Anniversary 2014
Happy Anniversary 2013
And that is a wrap on 2019. I am looking forward to treking into 2020 with all of you. Thank you for sharing in this adventure with me.
Happy New Year. Happy New Decade. May the wild ride continue to be a good one.
Happy New Year Maria!!!! I have enjoyed your posts for years-thank you for sharing your world! You inspire me!!!! Can’t wait to see what you have in store for us in 2020!!!!
Thank you Cindy! That was so nice of you to say that. I wish you the best in the New Year!
Happy New Year Maria! May 2020 be as productive and rewarding for you as 2019!
You too! Happy New Decade!
It’s always a treat to see your work. Best wishes for the year ahead.
Thank you Ann! Happy New Decade!
Happy Anniversary! Ten years is a long time and I am glad you are continuing to blog. I have been blogging for a long time and I will keep reading.your blog as long as you continue writing. Happy New Year!
I agree that writing blog posts are so important, a visual diary we can go back to and revisit times in our lives. I post every day so I don’t know if I could find the top 10 so easily with many thousand to search through;
It has been fun to watch you grow as an artist and I’m always looking forward to your next quilt. Sometimes when you show pieces and parts that are the start of one I wonder how you will ever make them into anything but you do!!
Thanks for sharing your “tales of a blogger” and for continuing to inspire me
Maria, thank you for all you have contributed to the sewing community. You have been such a great asset to those of us considered “self-taught”. In all actuality, you have been along for the ride with us, rendering much aid and knowledge. Sharing takes much energy and requires a gift which you so graciously have shared with generous abandon. I for one am very grateful. Wishing you and yours a safe, healthy and wondrous new year. Merry 2020!!!
Happy New Year! I think I first discovered your blog about five years ago and it is amazing to see how your creative pursuits developed over time. Wishing you happiness in the year ahead.