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Staying Connected

I used to think that it would be handy to have a doctor and a mechanic in the family.  As of this week, I would put Internet Technician (IT) on the top of that list.

computer tech supportLast weekend I had internet/computer issues to the point of tears!  I had to restore my computer to the previous day to solve one problem and then another one cropped up.  I couldn’t access my own blog from my computer.  I could get every other website/blog in the universe to come up, but not mine.  So after speaking to my website host and ISP (internet service provider) for hours, I was informed that it was a problem with my router.  So I bypassed my router and went directly from the modem to the desktop computer so that I could work on my blog.  So, no wireless internet in the house for the weekend.  Then on Sunday morning I spent 3 hours on the phone with Netgear and finally got the problem solved (even though she doesn’t know exactly what it is she did to fix it).

brainsMr. Crafty Quilter then said to me, “Do you think the universe is trying to tell you something?”

Not the encouraging words I wanted to hear from my husband, but it got my attention none the less.  I spend hours a day on the computer; checking email, checking Feedly (my blog reader), Pinterest, The Crafty Quilter, etc.  And I’m not even on Facebook!  I enjoy all of this, but I also feel compelled to “keep up”.  I sit at my computer or with my iPad and I’m really not that productive.

Funny_Computer_jokes_humourSo what’s a girl to do?  Scale back, but find other ways to connect.

I’m starting a different time format for my Sew Thankful Sunday posts.  I know many of you appreciate the weekly updates and I’m glad that you’re inspired.  But that is probably the number one reason that I feel compelled to browse the internet as much as I do – to bring you the latest and greatest quilting news.  My original intent was to honor the talents of other bloggers and websites in a “pay it forward” kind of way.  It’s now taken on a weekly news format that I just can’t keep up with.  So, I’m changing to a MONTHLY version of Sew Thankful Sunday and it will be on the first Sunday of every month.  Hopefully, that will allow me to spend more time creating my own content with new ideas and tutorials for you.

I’m also in the process of creating a new Pinterest board called Sew Thankful that will archive all of the previous featured posts so that you can find them in one place.  I’ll let you know when I’m finished.

I’m not sure if this is going in the right direction, but I’ve taken the leap into Instagram!  I don’t know what a hash tag means or how/why to tag people, but I would love it if you would follow me and then I can follow you back!

I think I’ll have fun with this and be able to easily share more pictures of what’s going on at my house and in my sewing room in particular!

Another upcoming project that I’m working on is a Christmas Sew Along starting in July or August.  I’ll be giving you instructions for a row by row quilt that will also have smaller projects to make out of each row block.

I have an exciting topic coming up for my “Let’s Talk” series:  sewing machines!  I can’t wait to tell you about my experiences and to hear yours as well.

That’s all of my rambling for now.  Thank you for listening and understanding.  I’m always open to suggestions and interested in your thoughts.  I really appreciate having you as a follower and a friend!

Julie

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44 Comments

  1. Julie–I have enjoyed your so thankful Sundays. A monthly newsletter will be just fine. I looking forward to your pintrest site. You need to be able to strike a balance with being creative and being informative. I think Mr. Crafty Quilter has got it right.

  2. I totally understand your computer frustration & the time it eats up. I am amazed at all you accomplish & how you do it so well! I DO enjoy your blog & look forward to your feature on machines — this may be my time for a new one.

  3. Husbands do have a no nonsense approach to advice. And now you should be able to look back on it and appreciate it for it’s true worth. This little circus we are performing in should always focus first on fun. Glad to hear you will be sharing more of your own creative talents with us. And looking forward to your monthly Sew Thankful Sunday posts. You go, girlfriend!

  4. So sorry to learn of the computer problems and glad you got fixed and worked out. I have accompanied you on instagram and look forward to seeing your post here and there.
    Jackie

  5. I think your changes sound great! I will miss the weekly Sew Thankful emails, but will enjoy them however often you can send them. Really looking forward to the Pinterest board…so will see you there!

    Thanks for all you do!

  6. I am a new subscriber. I also stumbled on your web site as I am a new quilter and was looking for place-mats for Christmas gifts. I am Sew Thankful I did and love all your ideas. I am looking forward to the new Sew Thankful monthly post. Thank you for all your work so I can get inspired.
    Enjoy and have a Blessed Easter!

  7. Looking forward to your Pinterest board. Just another of your great ideas. Having Sew Thankful Sunday only once a month is fine. Gives us something to look forward to each first Sunday. You have a great blog and so many wonderful talents. Keep up the great work! And don’t forget to stop and smell the roses every once in a while. The other stuff will still be there when you’re done.

  8. Hi, I wanted to say that I understand your time commitment. I enjoy your blog so much that it unfortunately causes me to spend too much time on the computer as well while I am searching all the wonderful blogs that you link for us. I think that the once a month sunday format will be a great way to get my blog fix but still have time to turn around and participate in what I am reading about.
    Thanks for hosting this blog. I remain a loyal follower
    Valerie

  9. YOU do what is right for you, we’ll be here whenever you are ready. I totally understand the frustrations and sense of overwhelm and trying to “connect” and “Reach out” and participate in various platforms. Sometimes it just robs us of creating! Love your projects and tutorials and sometimes less is more, right? hugs!

  10. I enjoy your posts so much. While I miss the every Sunday posts, I am excited for the future plans! Thanks for sharing your talents.

  11. Julie, I have enjoyed your Sew Thankful Sundays but do understand your time restraints. Will continue to follow you as I love your blogs. Will follow on Pintrest but not Instagram. I am waiting for your take on sewing machines since I have decided to upgrade my machine. I do appreciate you telling us your dilemma with blogging rather than just not writing for months at a time like some do.

  12. You are so right about feeling compelled to keep up to date with new things…and ending up browsing online for hours. I get so many ideas, I end up confused and make nothing some days due to undecisiveness.

    I love your blog and can’t wait to see the new pintrest broad.

  13. I’m so glad you got reconnected (somehow?)– it can be so frustrating! Your comics were funny and so applicable! I’ll look forward to your new formats and whatever you do (especially the Christmas thing). Time is a treasure and so it’s so important not to squander it, although we all need down time too. Good idea about the Sew Thankful pinterest page!

  14. HI Julie,
    I haven’t been a “follower” of yours for very long. Stumbled onto your website by accident. And have enjoyed every word. But I had the feeling were really pulling yourself in too many directions. Think the new format is a great idea and everyone will benefit from it. Get some rest, take vitamin B, create for all of us!
    Looking forward to your next email.
    Roselyn Tuerffs
    [email protected]

  15. Totally understand your need for time to do something other than looking at a computer screen. While I’ll miss your weekly post, truthfully, I’m looking at too many blogs myself and can’t keep up. I’m not going to quit following your blog, but will be even more happy to see your monthly post. Now, GO QUILT SOMETHING!!! LOL

  16. Don’t feel bad. I have noticed several other bloggers I follow who are taking a break or scaling back. Personally, I don’t know how you all do it! And I don’t have facebook either. I’d NEVER be away from this computer if I did!

  17. Julie, I always follow your blog and enjoy it very much -your project and your Sunday blogs. I especially connected with today’s topic and empathized with your cutting back UNTIL you brought up turning to Instagram. What a colossal waste of your time and talent! You lost me with that one.

  18. I do have an Apple Man for a son-in-law. He can whizz through every problem I encounter. Believe me I am so thankful for him. I don’t blame you for scaling back. I love your website and understand completely.

  19. I have a company in India that I have to service my computer 24/7. You tell them what is wrong and they take control and they are wonderful. I have never had a problem with their work. Last night, I had them working on wireless laptop and my desktop with going from Windows 8 to 8.1 and I had tried a tablet and totally screwed up the network and our wireless printer. The tablet went back and it was a full evening but totally successful. Drop me a line if you are interested.

  20. I also feel for you, there is nothing so mindboggling than a computer that just wont behave. I have missed your Sew Thankful Sunday and wait patiently or not so patiently for your monthly version. I not very computer literate so haven’t tried some of the other ways of keeping in touch.
    thanks again for your blog so so interesting.
    I will try Pinterest cos that sounds interesting as well probably need my friend to help me get started on that.
    anyway Julie thanks for everything I enjoy it all
    G

  21. Oh Julie, I can relate to what you’re saying….there’s a fine balance in keeping up with everything bloggy and yes, when it comes down to it…..something’s gotta give! Do what works for you….I’ve tried instagram but let it slide as I couldn’t keep up and didn’t ‘get it’ either. Love your IT funnies….brought a smile to my early morning! Keep on going….love visiting!
    Sugary hugs 🙂 Wendy

  22. I was always amazed at how you managed to do your weekly Sew Thankful, but was always SEW Thankful too! Monthly will be so much better for you and your wonderful creativity..I am looking forward to your Christmas project beginning in July/August. Can totally identify with your computer frustrations!

  23. I really did wonder how you managed to keep up with all those wonderful ideas of your own and then post others. We don’t want you to leave us… so I can deal with once a month and completely understand.

  24. Thank you, Julie for all the great work that you do and share with us. I am very grateful for the knowledge and information about sewing that you have worked so hard to inspire sewer like I am.

    It is still very generous of you to write to us once a month.

    Peace,

    Lan

  25. I am SEW Thankful for all you do! I appreciate all your hard work and once a month will be great. By the way, I joined Instagram awhile back and enjoy it (and I don’t even have Facebook page). Don’t worry about the hash tags and tagging people. It was easy to pick up.

  26. Your Sunday posts have been wonderful. However, once a month will be great for me too. I spend far too much time looking at everything and going from one blog to another. It is way beyond time to get to my sewing room.

    Thank again for all the new, inspiring information

  27. Hi Julie, so sorry to hear of the IT issues you’ve had, I know only too well the frustration that brings.

    I have enjoyed your Sew Thankful Sundays, but I understand why you need to scale down to Sew Thankful on a monthly basis, in a way this will be quite nice as the anticipation of waiting to hear your news will make it all the more enjoyable.

    I look forward to all of your future postings. Dilys, UK

  28. I am glad you are slowing down and checking back in with YOU. I hope you find more time to do what you want and to participate more in your sewing and quilting. I feel sure you will continue to share your talents in one form or another – something I am truly grateful for.

  29. What a wise lady, I absolutely understand. Also I am glad to hear Sew Thankful Sunday is going monthly, I can’t resist it and spend too much time going through it every Sunday. Once a month sounds just right. I quilt a lot more on my computer than I do in my sewing room and have been pondering this fact lately with a view to doing something about it. I shall certainly follow Sew Thankful on Pinterest although I have to ration myself there too!

  30. I have been enjoying Sew Thankful Sunday, and will look forward to it whenever you do it. And SO thankful that you will continue. Good luck and happy times ahead for you in this project.

  31. I know the feeling – I sometimes love my computer and all the information and mail I can access (another word that used to mean something else), but often hate the things it does, and am sure that computer programmers and I do not speak the same English language or have the same linear thought processes.
    I think you are making a wise choice, often wondered how much time you had to yourself after finding all that good stuff for the rest of us.
    Enjoy your time to yourself and YOUR creativity – time for ourselves and our own creativity is what keeps us happy and able to deal with the rest of our lives.

  32. I am a follower because of Sew Thankful Sunday, and I will of course, continue to follow you on a monthly basis. I have never started a blog because I know I could never keep it up. I admire those who do. The Pinterest board will be a great tool for all of your followers. I found that you are finding so many great projects out there that I can’t make half of the ones I would like, anyway.

    Do what you can and don’t wear yourself out. Thanks for all your hard work.

  33. I certainly understand your thinking. Add another definition regarding the computer – Black Hole! You sit down and, many hours later, wonder where the time went. We will wait patiently for April 6 to arrive and see what your new format brings us.

    Tomorrow is the first day of spring. Take a deep breath and enjoy!

  34. I’m not sure if I should laugh or cry for you! Because of all the excellent posts you post and the posts of your posts, etc, I too find myself coming up for air hours later. Almost as addicted to electrons as I am to sugar! Whichever format you go to, I will continue to be one of the many faithful followers. Thank you.

  35. I am totally in sync with you about technology – it is very time consuming. I have had so many problems with Blogger in 2014 that I am ready to quit blogging – I have to spend far too much time on undoing changes that it makes on it’s own. 🙂 I look forward to your monthly post – enjoy having some time for yourself.

  36. I can certainly understand your computer frustration. I tend to use my ipad as it doesn’t seem to have as many issues but it is limited to reading,not posting. I look forward to your Pinterest board so I won’t need to wait a whole month for a posting. Thanks for sharing, I appreciate and enjoy your blog!

  37. thank you, Julie for your Sew Thankful…..I will appreciate it
    however often you will send it. Look forward to it!

  38. I totally understand. I spent 6 hours last Thursday and 4 hours Friday with tech support. Finally have my computer spring cleaning done!! And a faster computer now that all the malware is gone.

    I enjoy your blog, and will continue to look forward to it, and the nice projects you show. Karen t

  39. Hi Julie — I wondered how long it was going to take you to keep up with a weekly blog! I admire what you’ve done and love all the sites that you recommend, but I TOTALLY understand you going to a monthly blog. I could never have kept up with what you do, and are doing! Keep up the good work!

  40. Made me smile this morning, Julie! I am a bit geeky and often help friends with computer issues. That requires much time on the phone with techies who speak computerese. I understand that frustration and offer my sympathy. Good blog.

  41. I think you will enjoy doing the monthly Sew Thankful.
    We all need to do what amounts make us happy, and not get “stuck- in” too deep !
    I think your creativity will have more time to “play” and enrich us all!

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