Tuesday, June 20, 2017

blogging is dead

Wow! It is hard to believe that I have not blogged in ages, actually a couple of months really. Why haven't I been blogging? Well, after I blogged a couple of months ago and received almost no comments, I became discouraged. With the ease and instant gratification of Instagram, I learned I no longer had to write long, informative blog posts to get people's attention. I only had to make a bit of eye candy, and I received a few comments without the hassle of writing long text.

Not that I mind typing. I actually enjoy typing on the computer, since I know how to type with all ten fingers, even on the German keyboard. I get frustrated with that little keyboard on my tiny mobile or smartphone. I really hate the auto correction on it too. I am not a thumb-typer, either and think it is totally funny when I see the younger generations typing this way. My son is 12 and learning how to type in school. I wonder how he will type in the future when he starts using his smartphone for messaging.

Okay, now that I have gotten that out of my system, do I really have anything to blog about? Yes! I've actually been quite busy. I've been so busy that I would overload you if I put everything into this one blog post! So, let's start out slow.

I started my own business. Yes, I decided to take that big leap. I've been designing my own patchwork and writing my own patterns and tutorials since 2010, I think. I've designed so much, I can't keep it all straight anymore. I've overloaded the computer with designs and have about 200 files in EQ7 not to mention the different quilts in each file. Have I made all of them or published them? No. I can't get to all of them. My daughter saw an old file on our tablet where I used to put sketches of quilts. She told me I never made the quilts she saw. Yep, sometimes I just can't get to them all. Sometimes, I even outsource the quilts. I don't really like to do that, because if I am the designer of a quilt, I want it to be written precisely and accurately. How will I know if it is written correctly if I don't follow my own directions? It would destroy me if I knew someone would say, "that Karen, she knows nothing about quilting. She just designs something without thinking."

Okay, I am rambling today, but that is good. I am getting it all out of my system just like in a diary. I assure you, there will be a little bit of eye candy today. Back to my own business. I published my very first printed pattern. Yes, it is very scary, because they are printed. I spent my own money and went to a publisher and had my pattern printed! If they don't sell, well, then, I am out of the costs, not to mention the cost of everything else!! And believe me, after I take out all of the money for expenses, there isn't a lot of money left. I know why quilt shops go bankrupt. I really feel for them too.

I've been publishing downloadable patterns for years now and not asking for a lot of money, just a few dollars or euros. In today's world, everything is quicker, faster, more redily available. No one wants to pay for anything anymore. I am very sad about that and fed up too. I give a lot of information, patterns, and tutorials away to really help others. There isn't a lot of thanks nor is there appreciation. That really hurts, but I am the type of person that likes to see the good in others. So I decided to start writing patterns and having them published for those who really want a great pattern. My patterns are well thought out, well written and concise too. Don't you get a little discouraged when you print out a PDF pattern and you have to tape ten thousand pieces together or enlarge?? I do! A lot of times when I download patterns I think to myself, "why did I buy this?" This person was not thinking when they wrote the pattern. I can make this myself without the pattern! If you know me in person, you've probably heard me say this too. There are very few people with patterns that I truly admire, but here are a few Gundrun Erla of GE Designs and Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. These ladies really rock. They've been doing their stuff for years and are still loving it (I hope.) They may not be at the top of the peak like Tula Pink but they are doing their thing. Thanks ladies!

So, back to that pattern company and business. I designed a New York Beauty with some really awesome Geogram fabrics from Samarra Kjaha for Lecien Fabrics.


The quilt was presented in Karlsruhe at Nadelwelt by Quilt ét Textilkunst in their booth. Nadelwelt is one of the larges quilt and crafting fairs in Southern Germany. Ms. Christine Köhne and her lovely staff sold my patterns, and kits and sign-ups for a class in their shop in July in Munich. Can you believe that?? I am so tickled!!


I wrote patterns in English as well in German, because I feel there aren't enough modern, patchwork patterns here in Germany. Most of our patterns are English imports. My German friends want patterns in German! Go figure. (laughing)

So, if you are looking for an advanced foundation paper pieced pattern with instructions, all full-size templates and all foundation papers to make this lovely 32 x 32 inch wall hanging, just shoot me an email. The complete pattern costs €14,95 not including shipping. Or check it out on my website. www.easypatchwork.de. Yes, I have a website! I even updated it a couple of weeks ago. I hope you like the improvements. There is free stuff there too!



Oh, and if you are looking for a more floral wall hanging, check out this lovely eye candy! This Long Island New York Beauty was made with a 10" Layer Cake of Acreage by Shannon Gillman Orr for Moda instead of yardage from Lecien. It looks just as lovely as the first too, if I may say so.


I even wrote free instructions on how to cut up the layer cake and uploaded them to Craftsy FREE, FREE, FREE! Did I mentions this was free??

**EDITED** Because some people still have to complain - there was one negative feedback on Craftsy that this was not a pattern but cutting instructions and was not worth the effort of downloading, I removed the FREE cutting instruction sheet from Craftsy. I think I remeber writing that on the FREE SHEET as well as in the information area? I must have been mistaken. Please accept my apologies! This is why I don't like to post for free anymore.

You can find this Alternate Cutting Instruction Sheet on my website for free download. Please remember, this is not the pattern, but an alternate cutting instructions sheet from a 10" stack of fabric. Thank you for your support.


https://www.craftsy.com/quilting/patterns/long-island-new-york-beauty-cutting-instructions/496025


I promise, I am going to write a few more posts in the next couple of weeks with a giveaway too. Please stay tuned. Oh, and please support your local patchwork store. Buy printed patterns so we can keep on doing our thing! Thank you!

20 comments:

  1. Wie schön, dass dein blogging nicht tot ist!! Mir macht es immer Spaß, deine Sachen auf dem großen Bildschirm zu lesen!
    Deine Website ist super schick :-)
    Bringst du mir einen Schnitt mit zum Bee Wochenende? Ich möchte einen kaufen ;-)

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  2. Congrats on the fabulous new venture and wishing you a very successful future with it!

    It's defintiely hard to keep blogging when there seems to be so little interaction, but in a way IG can be no different at times - sure there are lots of like but at times there are few other interactions. That said, I think the blog is still so important, you can share so much more information and it's easy to bookmark and pop back to time and again. I do hope it isn't dead because I always enjoy popping back to catch up.

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  3. Gratulation zum Business ! Ich wünsch Dir viel Erfolg und weiterhin viel Freude am Quilten ....

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  4. Love your blog "ramblings". IG is fast but the "why" in the blog is fun to know and more important. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and talents. Love the pattern. I'll check out the website and get one ordered. Good luck.

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  5. Your blog and Instagram posts are all wonderful! It would be a pretty colorless world without all the sharing of ideas. So--much clapping and whistling from here in South Texas for your blog posts, Instagram posts and pattern launch!! Yaaaaay!

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  6. Congrats on starting your business!! And I hope you charge a healthy figure for your patterns, print or pdf. So much work goes into them! I'm going to order your first printed pattern today :)

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  7. Thanks for sharing all your thoughts and the free patterns too. I own a small business in the States and it is extremely difficult to make a profit. We will close soon.

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  8. Congratulations on starting your business. I wish you much luck and happiness. Your New York Beauty design is wonderful.

    I do not "do" Instagram. . . .tried it, couldn't figure out how to do anything in it and then deleted it.

    I still blog on occasion. . . but, to be honest, I think I am reaching burn out with it. I did not start blogging to get comments, but they are nice. However, I am finding that I want to be more IRL and not so much cyberspace. Add to that the need to use up what I have in the house (and believe me there is way.too.much.) and it just gets too time consuming.

    Ok, enough babbling. . . enjoy your day.

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  9. Liebe Karen - da wünsche ich dir richtig viel Erfolg - auf das Nähen der erworbenen Schönheit bin ich gespannt. Falls du einen local Quiltshop aufmachst, Biberach wäre doch schön 😉

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  10. WOW! What a beautiful quilt. You are an inspriration. I will follow you on Instagram.
    Things are always changing, so glad you can open your own business and the best of luck.
    It is with people like you that I can keep current on all things quilting, and espically being in another country.
    We are all blessed.

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  11. Hooray for starting your own business!! I wish you all the best of luck and am flinging fairy sales dust across the continents toward you.
    I truly miss your blog posts, but understand the move to Insta (as it is commonly called here in Japan). I haven't jumped on that boat myself yet, but once I get a smartphone, I bet I will. In the meantime, good luck and I look forward to seeing what you're up to!

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  12. Hallo Karen,
    Blogging is not dead. You just have to keep the contents interesting...
    In Randersacker sind wir schon zu viert und machen dein neues Muster. Hoffentlich werden wir fertig, damit du Fotos machen kannst. Viele Grüße, Martina

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  13. best of luck with your business venture. Like you i have been neglecting my blog but I do prefer to read blogs than instagram as they tell so much more about what goes into the making of the quilt etc. I check blogs every morning as I am up usually around 5am

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  14. Just found your blog last week and really enjoy it. A content Canadian living outside the town of Hanover at the end of the Carlsruhe Road. Can you tell the area was first settled by Germans?Good luck with your business. I really love your quilts, enjoy the modern designs.

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  15. Hallo Karen,
    jetzt muss ich noch etwas hinzufügen:
    Blogging ist lebendig und vital und wird sicher nicht unter gehen, auch wenn viele so sagen.
    Ich liebe Dein gedrucktes Pattern (ich muss es nicht zusammenkleben) und verstehe es, dass Du kein PDF an der Stelle heraus gibst. Raubkopien gibt es nur, wenn der gesamte Bogen weiter gegeben wird. Und dann müssen die Raubkopierer mühsam kleben...dein neues Muster als pdf zu verschicekn ist noch schwieriger. Und das ist auch gut so.
    Deine neue Webseite gefällt mir super gut. Ich bin sehr beeindruckt von allen Deinen Mustern und Blöcken usw. und am meisten beneide ich Dich um Deinen tollen Schneidetisch. Heute morgen habe ich beschlossen, dass ich auch so etwas haben möchte.
    Wir sollten uns in Randersacker die Zeit nehmen, um über dieses Thema zu sprechen. Blogging, IG, Patterns usw. interessieren uns alle.
    Ich wünsche Dir alles Gute für Dein Business, Deine neue Webseite und alle Deine Ziele. Du könntest ja ein paar extra Muster mitbringen, die wir für dich verkaufen können.
    Viele liebe Grüße
    Martina

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  16. Liebe Karen, nach unserem Telefonat von eben habe ich mich direkt auf deiner neuen Webseite umgesehen. Dein neues Schnittmuster habe ich ja schon live in Karlsruhe gesehen! Wunderschön! Ich freue mich sehr, dass es bald in meinem Shop zu haben ist und freue mich besonders darauf es selbst zu nähen!
    Einen Blog am Leben halten kostet Zeit und Mühe und manchmal fließen die Worte nicht aus den Fingern... Mach weiter, es lohnt sich!
    Glückwunsch zu deiner neuen Website und ich bin sehr gespannt, was noch kommen wird!
    Liebe Grüße
    Dorthe

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  17. Bravo!!!! Encore!!! Blogging may be dead, but I am so glad to see you have not given up on it altogether, Karen. Visiting a blog is like being welcomed into your home for a coffee. Much more personal than simply placing a heart on an Instagram post. I am so proud of you for taking that leap to have your first "in-print" pattern published. It truly is a beautiful design. And looks great in both fabric lines. Looking forward to seeing you shoot for the stars!!!

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  18. Ich wünsch Dir alles Gute für Dein kleines Geschäft!
    LG
    KATRIN W.

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  19. Karen, this is a very interesting pattern! I've not seen one like this before and it excites me! Well done! I wish you great success! It's definitely on my wish list, maybe for my winter project, when I'm in Texas and have access to fabrics. I don't shop online

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  20. Liebe Karen,
    Herzlichen Glückwunsch zu deinem neuen Gewerbe. Deinen New York Beauty Quilt habe ich schon auf der Nadelwelt bewundert. Der ist wirklich sehr schön 😍. Beim Durchlesen der Kommentare habe ich gelesen das ich dein Schnittmuster auch bald in Dorthes Laden kaufen kann. Das finde ich klasse. Manchmal ist es leider auch bei mir so, das ich nicht immer Kommentieren kann weil einfach die Zeit fehlt und meinen eigenen Blog habe ich nie ans Laufen gebracht. Da ist Instagram tatsächlich einfacher. Ich bin auch kein großer Schreiber. Ich bewundere aber alle die das so toll machen. Ich finde die Dinge die du machst einfach klasse. Ob im Blog oder auf Instagram. Liebe Grüße Ulla

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