Hi there all!
Last year, when I was hopping from blog to blog, I came across
Plum and June’s Blog Hop. I didn’t have my blog back then but I said to myself “hey,
this is a great way to put your name out there, meet lots of new people, and
find some amazing but hidden quilters!” Now I am so excited to say that I am
participating in Plum and June’s “The 2014 New Quilt Blogger Blog Hop”!!
Let me tell you a little about myself.
My name is Nurdan and I am from Turkey. I am married to an Aussie man and we
have a gorgeous two year old son. My husband and I met in Turkey while he was
working for the Australian government there. After dating a couple of years, we
got married and moved to Australia four and a half years ago; so I am still a fresh chick in this country :) I have a BA degree in English language teaching but currently I am not working
as a teacher; I am the Executive Manager of one of the Learned Academies in
Australia.
I had no idea about what a quilt was when I came to
Australia until we visited one of my husband’s friends. I saw all those gorgeous wall hangings and
beautiful throws on the sofas. The lady of the house told me that she made all
those QUILTS. I have always been a crafty person; I did antique painting,
knitting, crocheting, silk painting, cross stitching…but I developed an
immediate love for quilts and that love has grown more with the first quilt I
made for my baby.
Since then, I have been trying to make time to make quilts and I learn and grow with each one of them.When I look at my first quilt, I remember the days I made it. I pick up so many mistakes but they make me smile because, as a self-taught quilter, I see how far I have come with my quilting.
I only started blogging in November last year. It has been
such a short time since then but I have learnt some things about blogging along
the way.
The best tip I can give is: Don’t stress when writing up a blog post. Finding
your voice is –I think- the hardest thing. I am still struggling with this.
When I feel like I am stuck, I start writing like I am talking to a friend.
This t-shirt quilt required lots of relaxing!
The same tip applies when quilting. Relaxing before starting
a new project or starting quilting your quilt makes a huge difference. Having a
clear mind, knowing what you will be doing and cutting your fabric with that
vision in mind make everything easier. (I still have some cut up fabric which
make no sense since they were cut either without much thinking or out of rush.)
What things do you find relaxing/motivating before/during a
new project? Sketching the design? Doing some quilty maths? Listening to music?
Or maybe dreaming of the finished project?
I would love to hear your thoughts!
I hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far. Tune in
to Plum and June and check out all these wonderful bloggers! This week we have:
Jill @ Pie Lady Quilts
Chelsea @ Patch
The Giraffe (http://patchthegiraffe.
Daisy @ Ants
To Sugar
Rachael @ The Floral Suitcase
Elizabeth @ And Pins
Jennifer @ Never Just Jennifer
Alice @ Blossom Quilts
Megan @ Sew Stitching Cute
Stephanie @ Late Night Quilter
Kelsey @ Lovely
And Enough
Hi Nurdan! I too often feel stuck when writing a blog post. Questions like "is this too informal" or "am I just being weird" often pop into my head. The biggest thing for me is just getting my head out of the way and ultimately, like you said, write like I'm talking to a friend.
ReplyDeleteHi Jennifer! Yes, I have the same doubts! But in the end, here is our space and I think we are allowed to be too informal or sometimes weird :)
DeleteI'm glad I met you awhile back! It's always nice to have you visit and to see what you are working on also :)
ReplyDeleteYou are so lovely Christine! I am glad that I found you too :) How is your latest project going?
DeleteI usually work on one project at a time, so I love thinking about my next project while quilting. I love your first quilt.
ReplyDeleteJasmine, that's a good point. I work on one project at a time too. It keeps my mind clear and focused.
DeleteWow! Your first quilt looks fabulous! You jumped right into quilting with great success. Working on projects is a form of meditation for me, so I find the whole process relaxing and enjoyable. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes, I did! I just watched a few tutorials on Youtube and just did it without doubting myself! This is one of the reasons why I am so proud of my first quilt.
DeleteI love the quilt with the circles on, really fun look.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kay. It was a fun project and the whole quilt came together very nicely and quickly.
DeleteMy favourite part is the design. Once I get that set I'm well motivated to start collecting fabric. If I get stuck I make a block or move onto something else while I let the first one stew in my head!
ReplyDeleteRuth, you are systematical! Most of the time, I just collect the fabric without a project in mind and then find a project that suits the fabrics. This is sometimes causing me a lot of headaches tho :) I should learn how to do it the other way around!
DeleteJust relax is a great tip!
ReplyDeleteHi Beth. It works for me, hope it works for you too! :)
DeleteRelaxing is key! I don't struggle with this anywhere else in my life other than quilting. I am always anxious for the next design and next step I have to do... I also have some fabric cut up in squares that I don't recall why I did other than the beginning of my quilting days. Your eat. Sleep.play. quilt is adorable!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Megan! Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI usually have a concept of some sort in my head before I start. I always need a least a little hint of a plan before I can relax and cut. Lovely to meet you :)
ReplyDeleteHi Serena. I agree with you. I will be happier when-one day-I will buy my fabrics according to the planned project in mind, not the other way around :) Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteBeautiful quilts! It is hard finding your voice, I'm still struggling as well. I think you're doing a great job with the blogging and the quilt making! I think doing some quilty math is what motivates me the most. Figuring out how many pieces to cut, or units to piece, usually get me motivated into my next project!
ReplyDeleteHi Liz. It's all planning isn't it. I am about to start putting together some triangles I cut for a new quilt. And this time I did some quilty math and calculated how many I needed for the size I want. I already feel like I am half way through finishing the quilt! Thanks for stopping by. xxx
DeleteI love your "bow tie" quilt at the bottom, Nurdan - just beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you Sarah. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteYour quilts are really fun! I love all those bright colors. I listen to classical music on Pandora while I quilt. This way my daughters yells and screams are slightly muffled, and I can relax a bit. :) Happy quilting!
ReplyDeleteHahahaa Katie :) I love tuning into my favourite radio station when quilting too. For some reason, music keeps me stay focused. Thanks for stopping by! xxx
DeleteNice to meet you! Well, the most fun part for me is playing with fabrics with not exact plan just vision in my head :-) I also like some hand stitching which I find relaxing. Not hand quilting the entire quilt but little something here and there.
ReplyDeleteI love hand stitching too Vera; especially the binding while watching some rubbish TV :)
DeleteI am in love with your zig zag quilt! Between the colors you used and the quilting I cannot decide what I like best! I love it! Nice to meet you!
ReplyDeleteThank you Barbara! xxx
DeleteI like to sketch out designs first and dream of the finished product :)
ReplyDeleteDreaming of the finished product is my main motivation Kelsey! xxx
DeleteNice to meet you on the blog hop. I am part of it too, and decided to stop by and visit. I love your blog. Your masthead is very inviting. And I love the quilt with the triangles and lots of white space. I look at a lot of quilting magazines and books that I've collected over the years, and play with fabric combinations in my stash to get me motivated. Sometimes I'll sketch. What relaxes me is either good music or something on TV in the background that doesn't require me to pay attention. Maybe even a movie I've seen before. Sometimes even a good nap. I also always have one project that I am hand quilting on the side, because that is very relaxing too. Hope to see you around the hop. Please stop by and visit if you can.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your feedback Annie! I love some hand stitching while watching TV too. Thank you for stopping by! xxx
DeleteI sometimes do a bit of internet surfing before starting a new project, but most of the time, I've already been thinking so much about what I want to do while finishing the last project that I just jump in. I tend to cut first, read directions second.
ReplyDeletePinterest is the best! Thanks for stopping by! xxx
DeleteHi there! I'm visiting from the Plum & June Hop! You have some lovely quilts here. I've liked the Eat Sleep Repeat quilt forever but haven't gotten around to making it! And those solid HSTs with the white are just my thing - the colours really pop! In terms of what I love to do before I get started on a new project, I love to look at all the things I've pinned to my Pinterest boards and see what pops up over and over again. That's usually a good indicator of what I want/need to make next. I also love pulling fabric from my stash... and cutting... and oh, let's just say I love a whole lot about starting a new quilt! :)
ReplyDeletePinterest is my main source of inspiration too!! Thank you for stopping by Jenn! xxx
DeleteI tend to do a lot of planning in my head before starting a project, particularly when I have a child sleeping on me. I pull fabric and then stare at it for a while before cutting into it. Sometimes it 'tells' me what it wants to be. lol. Your Eat Play Sleep Repeat is so fun!
ReplyDeleteHello, Nurdan! I too am an Aussie-based quilter.
ReplyDeleteI love the 'eat, play, sleep, repeat' quilt. I want to make a big version for myself!
Hi Carla! Thanks for stopping by! How about making this version: Eat, drink wine, drink more wine, repeat! :D
DeleteHi Nurdan! I love finding other Aussie blogs to follow :D
ReplyDeleteYour quilts look so bright and fun! I really like the one with the circles. I've been blogging for about a year now (consistently) and I find I'm only just starting to find "my voice". Great tip to treat it like speaking to a friend.
Also, just an FYI as it's been something talked about in the hop: you have the captcha/word verififcation turned on :) it's been suggested to turn it off as it decreases chances of people commenting as they can be pretty frustrating sometimes!
Thanks Joanna for stopping by and for your feedback! I wasn't aware that my blog was asking for that verification!!!I will definitely have a look at my settings!!
DeleteIt's great getting to learn more about you Nurdan! You have some lovely quilts, I especially like the chevron one with the bright purple border. Can't wait to see more from you!
ReplyDeleteThank you Diana! xxx
DeleteGreat advise about not over thinking the blog posts as well as the quilting process. I do like to listen to music while I'm working and if I'm with friends at Sew Day or a Retreat I pick projects that don't require a lot of thinking and calculation so I am free to chat and be distracted. Your bright colors and the negative space in your quilts are fun. Visiting from 2014NQBH Karen http://capitolaquilter.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by Karen! xxx
DeleteI love that last quilt you posted, I like how bright it looks and how much your colors pop. I don't always have a plan when I start a project, so what relaxes me is taking things slowly. I'll start with just a little bit of piecing, and then let it sit on my design wall and 'simmer' while I work on other projects. I find having patience with the process helps me stay relaxed. Thanks for the intro, Nurdan!
ReplyDeleteI usually do one thing at a time but this doesn't stop me from leaving everything on my design wall! :) Thanks for stopping by Kate! xxx
DeleteSlightly late visit from the blog hop! Lovely, bright quilts, and I especially love your first, baby quilt. I find that sewing a quilt is my relaxation, so I really don't need to worry about being motivated or relaxed to do it, just have to worry about finding the time to do it!
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by!
DeleteYour quilts are nice and colorful.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteGreat quilts Nurdan! You've done so much in such a short time!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I do my best :)
DeleteYour quilts are all beautiful! I especially love the one you made for your son. Hard to believe that's your first quilt. It looks so professional!
ReplyDeleteThank you Leanne! It is my favorite quilt :)
DeleteHello and nice to meet you! Your quilts are wonderful, so modern and fresh. I like to watch netflix whilst quilting or sewing. I'm currently loving Orange is the New Black.
ReplyDeleteI have a bit of a blogging tip too, if you reply to people's comments in your comments, it's most likely they'll never see it - I prefer to reply to comments by email.
I love the vibrant colors in your quilts! I made one of the eat, play, sleep, repeat quilts for a friend's baby. It's such a cute design.
ReplyDeleteIts lovely to meet you :-) I too met an Aussie while overseas and then moved to Australia! And it was there that I discovered how much people love quilting. Love your quilts - your choice of bright colours is fantastic!
ReplyDeleteLove the multi-coloured chevron and the small triangle quilt at the end.
ReplyDelete