So here I am, in my studio, sitting down to write my 500th blog post on the Amanda Jane Textiles site. I can hardly believe it! I certainly never imagined when I wrote the first post in the summer of 2014 that there would be so many. Since that time, the helpful statistics provided by WordPress tell me that I have written 255,447 words up until today.
Over the time, I have occupied several different locations. My first workspace was on the mezzaine landing in our converted Salvation Army Hall home:
Later, I occupied a high-ceilinged room in the wonderful Ushaw building, where I had a view out over the grassy courtyard and a small bell tolled each quarter hour.
When we moved to Kent, I rented a room at the back of a nearby church hall:
Finally, I moved in to the studio we built next to the house.
This is what it looked like in 2022 when we had just finished the inside (it’s a bit fuller now, as you can see from the photo at the top!):
So as to how writing 500 blog posts is done, it is a bit like the saying that is sometimes quoted regarding tackling a large task, say, in business. Question: ‘How do you eat an elephant?’ Answer: ‘One bite at a time!’ So that is how it has gone. Each Monday, I sit down to write to you. A number of you have been kind enough to subscribe to the blog (thank you so much!), some of you read my posts on Facebook (thank you!) and others just dip in from time to time, so I do at least know that what I write is being read.
I do plan an outline of my posts for the year, for example there has been a Mystery Quilt project this year, ‘Seaside Album’ (see here)
I’ve also done a series on Basic Sewing Skills in 2024 (for an example, see here).
almost always the actual post is written on the Monday of each week. I have literally written in airports, in cafes, in cars and on trains (see below), just to make sure that the schedule is kept.
I take almost all of the photos myself, so try to have them in hand before starting writing (with the exception of today when it took me umpteen tries to take a half-decent selfie of me and the laptop!).
At the end of my two or more hours work on each post, WordPress kindly tells me how long it will take you to read it, for example six minutes. Ah well.
Today’s small business is expected to be expert at social media: adding to a website, posting consistently on Instagram, writing a newsletter, adding videos to YouTube and commenting on other blogs and on Facebook. For a maker business like mine, it is virtually impossible to keep up because if I did all of that too consistently, I would never make anything. Making – and helping others to make is what Amanda Jane Textiles is about. I do have a YouTube channel here and I do write a newsletter for subscribers (you can get it too here) but this blog is the main way that I try to connect with other textiles enthusiasts with information about my business but also with tutorials, reports of textiles events and exhibitions. When I first started out, I did not have comments enabled (I think was a little nervous about possible reactions. to my efforts). I regret that somewhat and now positively welcome feedback from readers. I’d love to know what your favourite blog post is, for example. So please head for the ‘Let me know what you think’ box at the very end of the blog.
I have not said much about my personal life; this isn’t a confessional blog after all, but you may have noticed hints along the way, for example, my move from the North to the South of England; my new role as a grandparent; a mention of my Christian faith and my involvement in a local church; my enjoyment of swimming and my joy in living next to the sea. This is what it looked like on my morning walk today:
If you like what you find here on the blog, please consider sharing it with someone else. It’s a small way of helping my micro business to survive. Thank you!
In other news, Spoonflower, where all my fabric designs reside, has a sale on. Today (Monday 2nd December 2024) there is 30% sitewide. My studio of fabrics can be found here. There is a nice seasonal gift bag, printed and ready to stitch up, that fits into a fat quarter of fabric here This is what the bag looks like made up:
Plus on my 500th-post celebration day, I’ve also been told that I’ve made ‘Star Seller’ on Etsy for December!
You can check out all my patterns in the Amanda Jane Textiles shop here, which include the ‘Jingle Bells’ pattern to make Christmas tree decorations from textiles.
Or, if you are not a quilter yourself but would love to give a quilt for Christmas, then head to the Amanda Handmade Quilts shop here and pick a quilt. Maybe this one?
Thank you for reading my blog. Quilt Patterns are here, Fabrics are here, Classes are here
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Amanda Jane Textiles 