My group is called the Sewcial Swarm and we've been very busy checking out each others blogs and working on our own. It's been so busy that at one point I was thinking we should have called ourselves the worker bees, but we are fresh off a two week break and it's my turn to share a bit about myself, so here goes.
I was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario where I met my husband Dwight. He was from a smaller town and he didn't like living in the big city so after we married we moved to a smaller close by where we still live. We have two adult children, one in law school and one in teachers college.
This picture was taken a year ago when we helped out at a tree planting with my co workers. Dwight and I enjoy gardening with native plants and trees. We have a mini forest at the back of our yard which you can sort of see in the picture of my Swoon Quilt below. Now that there are leaves on those little trees it looks a bit more forest like.
Swoon Pattern by Camille RossKelly
I have a degree in Biology and I work full time in a Health Food Store. I fit as much quilting as I can into the evening hours and weekends. I learned to quilt just over 10 years ago. What started out as a very part time hobby has blossomed into more of a passion in the last couple of years as my children have left home and I have more hours to fill playing with fabric and improving my piecing skills. 
Houses Pattern by Johanna Masko
My husband's only comment on the first four quilts I made was "That's bright." so I think it is fair to say that for the most part I prefer bright colours and strong contrasts. I do sometimes make softer quilts. I belong to a traditional guild and a modern guild and I make quilts in both styles. This past year I have been focusing on the actually quilting: free motion, walking foot and hand quilting.
Mod Blocks Runner Pattern by Lynne Goldsworthy
I've been blogging for about a year and a half. It took me a really long time to pick a name as it seemed like all the good names were taken. Here's how I finally picked my name.
Like many people who live in the northern hemispheres I can get quite low in the winter. One winter I decided to try a couple of creative hobbies to see if some creativity could help get me through. I tried mosaics and quilting, and the quilting stuck. I named my blog Sunlight in Winter Quilts as an expression of the joy I find in working with bright fabrics in the greyness of winter.
My blogging tip comes from an observation made by my critique group. They found my blog difficult to read because the print size was too small and was written in italics. So my tip is USE BIG PRINT. Another tip is to view your blog as a work in progress and make slow changes to it when you can. (this tip is really for me!)
My quilting tip is don't trust your 1/4" foot. If you find your piecing isn't lining up your foot is not accurate. I've found the most accurate way for me to get consistent 1/4 inch seams is to use the foot but move my needle over to position 4 on my machine. For me to make this change It took a workshop instructor pushing the button on my machine to adjust the needle. So if you, like me are slow to change just imagine me reaching out of the computer and pushing that button for you!
Joining this blog hop has been a wonderful thing. I've met a lot of great new bloggers and I've pushed myself to make changes to my blog that I just wasn't getting around to doing, or didn't know how to do. The process has also helped me to think about the direction my quilting and blogging has taken and to think about where I would like to go in the future.
I have some goals I would like to share with you.
1. More humour. When I was a little kid I had my family in stitches telling them stories about my day. It's hard to capture that spirit in writing. I'll try.
2. Work on more Modern techniques such as improv.
3. Design some of my own quilts.
How about you. Do you have a blogging goal or quilting goal you would like to share?
Random Facts:
Sign: Virgo on the Libra cusp.
Favourite Author: Miriam Toews
Favourite Book: Read to many to pick one but the best two in recent times are Your Face in Mine and All the Light We Cannot See. Currently reading War and Peace (Wish me Luck)
Love to watch Scandinavian Detective Shows.
As I come to the end of this very long post I would like to encourage you to check out the other members of Sewcial Swarm posting today. Here are links to their blogs.
Elenor @ catapprovedquilting.blogspot.
Corinne @ mustlovequilts.com
Vicki @ www.orchidowlquilts.com
Karen @ sugarfreequilts.blogspot.ca
Please also check out the posts at our organizers blogs: Terri Ann of Childlike Fascination, Stephanie at Late Night Quilter , Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs and Yvonne of Quilting Jet Girl.
These women have put an incredible amount of time into organizing the blog hop and giving us encouragement and tips, so to the four of you I would like to share this photo of two things that showed up on the lunch table at my work. The sentiment on the card is for you:
I'm off to check out the other blog posts. I hope you join me.
28 comments:
Love your explanation of your name!
I tend to favour bright prints too, if I'm feeling down they cheer me up!
I love that picture of you and your husband and your smiles. It looks as though you are laughing and we all need to do more of it. Your fabric choices in your Houses Pattern really make that little quilt pop. And I love your tip about reading in the work in progress view, for some reasons I catch more of my mistakes reading it that way. It was great meeting you and I look forward to reading more of your posts.
I'm visiting from the New Bloggers blog hop. I love your Houses quilt! I better make one soon.
Nice to "meet" you! Love the colors in your quilts... they are such happy quilts.
Thank you, Lisa - that is an awesome card. ;) It is a delight to get to know you better, and I think your blog name and sentiments about quilting will resonate with almost everyone who visits you. As far as goals go, I just want to keep on making and creating. It would also be really cool to get a quilt into a show some day, but that isn't a real goal - I'd really rather be happy making my quilts.
I have just moved to a new machine and 1/4" is no where near. i was expecting it though just by looking at where the needle was so i must be getting better at seeing 1/4! Great advice and lovely to read more about you!
How fun getting to know you more Lisa! Thank you for the reminder about the 1/4"... important to remember! I love the quilt with the houses, beautiful and love the whimsey! Goal, just maintaining! I always feel like I'm so behind ~ I just have too many ideas and want to do them all right away!
What a great post, I feel like I just spent some time sewing with you. To answer your question, my short term goals for blogging center around getting into the rhythm of posting regularly with great photos and posts that people want to comment on. I also think humor is important!
What a neat way to come with your blog name. My blogging goal is to get better at writing posts.
I love the story of your blog name, and I love the photo you shared of yourself and your hubby. You both look like you're having fun, and that's what it's all about, right? I like bright colors too, but I am working on trying to tone it down - at least occasionally. Love that houses project - I like the wonkiness of it - I usually don't go for the houses stuff but this one is great. My goals are to write up patterns for some of my designs, make a schedule for quilt show entries and participate, and to teach a few classes this year. Great to meet you, Lisa.
Hi Lisa, it's nice to meet you! I was a part of last year's blog hop and found it to be invaluable to me. I can see, it's having the same effect on you. Thanks for sharing more about yourself and some of your tips. They are spot-on. I've stopped reading some blogs because of the font that was used. And my 1/4 inch foot is close to accurate but I still nudge it over a bit so that I get that scant quarter inch instead. I have a tip for you - whenever you link to somewhere else (like another blog), be sure to check mark the box that says "open this link in a new window." That way your reader will still stay on your post. Looking forward to seeing more of you in the future.
Your Swoon quilt is pretty, I like the colour choices. The houses are fun too. I'm currently working on free-motion quilting :)
It was great to find out more about you Lisa. The blog is certainly easier to read now. That makes a difference when there are too many blogs to read. The font is just right. I wonder if the photos of your beautiful work could be slightly larger or do you think that may make the blog too slow to load?
Hi Catherine: My pictures usually are larger...I made them a bit smaller this time because the post was so long I thought it wouldn't show up on one page and I don't know how to fix that. I'll take all the advise I can get!
That's so bright :) what a guy comment huh? I'm always trying to get my dear boyfriend to give me feedback on things and he is dreadful at it. Quilting has really brought me a lot of joy in the winter as well so I can definitely identify with the name and the idea behind the name of your blog. So glad to have you joining us Lisa!
I understand about the lack of sunlight in winter, and here in Nova Scotia, it seems like winter lasts forever. I, too, would like to design quilts. It was nice getting to know you.
I love how you came up with the name for your blog. After living for five years in Massachusetts, I can absolutely relate. Actually, I started quilting in December 2012. I always put that down to having time off, but it may have been a bit more complex than that.
I'd like to be more humorous on my blog too. It's tough though. I find that humor is generally underused in blog posts, although I do follow a couple that are hilarious. Those are verging on, or completely swimming in, the absurd though. I wonder if it just doesn't come across well because of the nature of the written word as a tool for communicating creative journeys and techniques. If I find an answer to it, I'll let you know.
I love the name of your blog. Even in Virginia, USA, winter sometimes affects my mood and quilting and creativity lift my spirits. At least you don't have to worry about hot and humid summers. I make lots of plans and I'd like to finish some projects before starting any thing new.
Lisa, we must be cut from the same fabric. We have so many similarities! Thank you for sharing some insight on who the real Lisa is, and your work is beautiful. So much of your post resonated with me.
Loved reading more about you; All the Light We Cannot See is on my 'to read' list, and just now looking at it on Amazon has renewed the urge to get it read! I actually thought I had read it, as the title was so familiar...thought you were a reader, just knew it :-) Oh how I love your Swoon quilt (on my 'to make' quilt list) and the houses one! I have a thing for houses. One day we'll have to get together!
It's great meeting you through your intro post. I will definitely be thinking about your blog when I get the winter doldrums. Quilting gives me a pick up too during those drab winter days. I especially like wrestling with all the fabric and batting when I FMQ on those cold days. Not so much in the summer heat. I love your wholesome farm picture, so cute. And, your quilts are fabulous!
I absolutely LOVE the name of your blog and the meaning behind it! Wow just sharing that simple thing gets to know you and creates a bond with your reader. I also find much delight in quilting. My post is week 4 for the group and I'll share the meaning behind my shop name too!!!! I like that idea! You and your husband are absolutely adorable together!!!! I love love love the picture of the two of you - how casual it is and delivers each of your personalities through the photograph and how you interact with each other!!! They say a picture says a thousands words and that one does- it isn't just a cheesy posed photograph with no emotion between the two of you! I love your quilting. Your colors, design, presentation, photography and more!! I love the diversity of your quilting tones too. That you have various expressions u can create and not just stuck on one path of quilting!!! You are very impressive!!! I hope you can realize it and appreciate it and grow from your knowledge of it!!! You have a lot to offer!!!! Thank you for sharing yourself. Your writing is excellent and if you can ever reach back to that little girl that kept her family in happy stitches it would be fun to read your posts reaching back to her. I'm always impressed when someone can do those things. Your writing doesn't need it though - there is plenty of you in your writing but I like your goal. Keep sharing, writing and quilting. I look forward to reading more of your blog and future posts!!! ThNks for your encouraging words.
I love the bright colours you use in your projects - especially the Mod Blocks Runner. My quilting goal is to keep learning and try new things. My blogging goal is to keep on participating in this wonderful online community!
Hi Lisa, it was fun getting to know you. Love your work and your color choices. I am a bright girl myself ;) My quilting goal is to work on my own patterns - I have a lot of things already designed, that are just waiting to be made, so hopefully soon. :) Thanks for sharing!
It's nice to meet you, Lisa. Your swoon quilt looks great. I also like bold colors with high contrast. I think "don't trust your 1/4" foot" is such a good tip. I think my foot (I sew on a viking) might work better if I had a newer machine (with different needle position settings)... but my machine is about 30 years old. It seems like no matter how hard I try, I can't sew two 2" wide pieces of fabric together and have them end up 3.5" wide exactly. I think it's a combination of needle position and where exactly the fabric should hit the foot. Barely? With the foot on top of the edge of fabric? So close the fabric is kinda smashed up against the 1/4" guide? As for blogging goal, I'd like to get some tutorials for the blocks/quilts I've designed up on my blog. I feel like I might like to start designing quilts and selling patterns, but I think a good first step of that is getting tutorials up for public consumption.
hello, nice to meet you! Your Swoon quilt is beautiful and I love the houses quilt too. You're right to think of a blog as a work in progress, I fiddle with mine every now and again!
Wonderful post, I enjoyed learning more about you and how you came up with your blog name. Your blog is looking great.
Great post, Lisa! Your blog looks fantastic! I knew from your blog's name that I had "met" you before, but the blog looked so different that it took me a minute to realize we were in the critique group together! I really enjoyed reading about you. I think your personality is coming through in your writing, and in the bright colors that you use to quilt. Great job! :)
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