Blog Hopping and Tribes

So as part of finding my work life balance, I have a new morning ritual. I am sitting and eating breakfast and reading blogs.  It started with the 2021 UFOvember Blog Hop. When I realized it was going on again this year, it had been going on for 2 weeks. I needed to catch up

I am all caught up with UFOvember 2021 Blog Hop. In one of this year's posts, I found out that there are all sorts of blog hops out there. (Have I ever mentioned that I am totally inept at social media.)
Any was this discovery led to me reading all the posts from last year's Spring Clean Your Studio Blog Hop. That one is organized by Muppin.com and has been around for 7 years. It's nice to know messy studios are not an uncommon problem. I'd love to go back and read all of those posts but that would take a lot of research and I don't really have time for it.

With my new morning ritual of sitting and eating breakfast at my computer, I've found myself looking at blog posts.  Specifically the blogs of the various quilters doing the posts for UFOvember.  I've signed up for a couple of mailing lists, but only those that have several posts that I like.  Basically I am finding my tribe of quilters online.  

While I am enjoying the blogs and podcasts, I do miss the company of in person quilters. When I first moved here to Southern Georgia, there was a tiny little quilt shop about a mile from my house. I took some classes there. I would drop in and chat with the owners from time to time. Then the shop closed due to lack of business. When in Utah, I worked with 4-H and went to Master Sewing training and Leader-mete. And of course there was Mom's Craft and Fabrics (local quilt shop). No matter who was working at Mom's that day, you got conversation, encouragement, and companionship. Especially from Mom. I found out a few week's ago that "Mom" had passed and I felt like I lost a family member.  And that is after not having lived there for 13 years.

So when I found a new Quilt shop in Tallahassee, I had to check it out. It's small and I think most of her business is long arm quilting work. But it does have some fabric and it has a great owner. On my first visit (sept 30th), we introduced ourselves.  I expressed a desire to join a guild since I miss quilting with others.  The two women there (owner and worker) expressed concern about attending guild meetings in Tallahassee right now.  The meetings are held at night and not in a good part of town.  So that was off the table. They did suggest a group in Havana that meets one Saturday a month.  The owner also told me that she is thinking of trying to get a group together in Northern Tallahassee. She just needs to find a place to have it.  I went back last Saturday (Nov. 20th). The owner was by herself and remembered me.

She even asked about things we had discussed. I think I found my new quilt shop.  

During this pandemic many people have lamented the loss of the personal connection. I found that this was especially true for quilters, at least judging by the blogs and pod casts.  For me, the pandemic didn't change anything. I still had to work, I still didn't have a quilting tribe, I still felt pretty much alone in the quilting world.  Even a though we are still being affected by the pandemic, I am slowly finding my tribe. Both online and in person.  

Do you have a quilting tribe?