Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Announcement!

Hello everyone! I appear to have unintentionally taken the summer (eh, and fall) off of blogging. However, although things have been quiet on the blog front, in the real world I have actually been quite busy and have a very exciting announcement. Alissa and I are writing a book! As many of you know, Alissa and I co-host an online quilting bee called Block Party. Our book will focus on the online quilting community and our little corner of that community called Block Party. It will be published by C&T Publishing and will include contributions from all of the members of Block Party. Since joining Flickr and starting my blog I have been continually amazed by the inspiration, support, and creativity present in the online quilting community. Finally, I have found crafting friends. People who understand the need to go to all five quilt stores in the Myrtle Beach metropolitan region while on vacation because maybe, just maybe, one will have a bit of Flea Market Fancy left over; who understand the want, the compulsion, to stay up all night finishing ababy quilt the night before the baby shower; who can talk fabric lines like other people talk about television; and who can appreciate the beauty inherent in a finished quilt. I am so happy to have found all of you and so thrilled to be sharing this project with all of you and the other eleven women in Block Party. The book that Alissa and I have imagined will capture all of this wonderfulness. Rather than just a book of patterns, we will bewriting a “how to” book that will be also be all about the virtual quilting bee and the incredible sense of community that we have found online. We will be celebrating the creative process and attempting to capture the amazing nature of these group projects -- that what is created by the group is so so much better than each person's individual block. I haven't even gotten to the best part yet. We are inviting all of you to be in the book too! We will be switching our Block Party Blogover to a quilt along and will be including some of the quiltalong blocks in the book. We hope that many of you will join in. There will be more details coming along soon so please keep an eye both here and over on the Block Party blog. Thank you all for all of the inspiration and support and for sharing in this process with us. I can't wait to see what all of you come up with! -Kristen

5 comments:

Doris said...

Oh, Kristen and Alissa, that is so exciting! Count me in on the quilt along and any contributions you need for help with the book! I am following your lead and hosting my own Bee starting in 2010 (with some VERY exciting bloggers, I might add...) Love following the Block Party blog...

Way to go, gals...I agree this online community is mind-blowing!

Alissa said...

Yay!!

Jackie Russell said...

Can't wait to see your new book.

Silvia LGD (Little Green Doll) said...

Great news!!! Good luck with the book!

leslie said...

i have been lurking on the block party for a long time. i am so excited for all of you! the quilts are amazing and inspiring. the concept is wonderful as i have found support and instruction from virtual strangers. i didn't know a thing about quilting a year ago and now i whiz along happy as a clam. can't wait for the book!