Putting Pinterest To Rest/Thank You For Your Input

Putting Pinterest to Rest...so to speak, is not all that easy. It is quite simple to put a "Follow me on Pinterest" button on your blog but not nearly as straight forward, to figure out, the "this is a no pin site message". Pinterest's help page gives you the info, but for the life of me, I can't get it working. Now I do realize I'm not a technical genius....but why should I spend all this time stopping something I didn't start??.

Yes, yes...I realize my annoyance is starting to show through. Oh dear, and I'm usually so cheerful, well maybe not that cheerful.

I started out sitting on the fence.....what swayed me?? I took the time to read the following articles.

1. Pinterest Pandemonium
2. Pinterest a Haven for Copyright Violations
3. Why I Tearfully Deleted My Pinterest Inspiration Boards

Another thing that swayed me is the fact that people are often pinning without asking permission. What harm is there in that, you may ask?

Here is my personal experience. I recently posted photo's of Elizabeth Barton's  work, with her permission, on my blog. Our agreement was, that I link all photos back to her website. Being very amazing work, of course it has been pinned and re pinned. The pins link back to my website but not to the specific post with all of Elizabeth's relevant info. Someone would have to dig through my blog to find them....are they going to do that? Not likely! I've seen pictures of Elizabeth's work pinned and her name is not even mentioned. I am trying to contact those "pinners" so that they give credit where credit is do. I'm finding this somewhat upsetting.

There is one more thing....and it scares me the most. If the information, in the above articles, is correct, the images are now owned by Pinterest!!!! How can this be?? I would so love this, not to be true.

Thank you all so much for your comments, especially Deborah O'Hara and Kit Lang for bringing some of this to my attention. 

If you want to know if your work has been pinned, go to: http://pinterest.com/source/yourdomainname.com/
It might surprise you!

Until some of these issues are cleared up I'm putting Pinterest to Rest....so sad.

If anyone has more info, feel free......I would love to be able to create inspiration boards without violating any one's privacy.

Amazing What One Can Find in the Sale Bin /My Pinterest Conclusion

I'm back on the coast, escaping the 25cm of snow, that fell back home, on the weekend. Best of all, I brought two fellow Blockheads with me......not only are they my quilting buddies they are wonderful friends. You know the kind....the ones that make you laugh until you cry, they are both cackling, in the background as I type.

The first order of business was a little Shop Hopping!!!

I can sniff out a bargain a mile away.....it's amazing what one can find, in the sale bins!!!

Next, I wanted to thank all of you, that gave your extremely, helpful, comments regarding Pinterest.

Here is what I've concluded:

• If you are going to pin.....allow your work to be pinned, only fair, I think.
• Make sure the name of the person who's work is being pinned is mentioned.....not just the name of the blog that happens to have that person's work, on their blog. The blogger is probably giving credit, but I feel it is our responsibility to do the same when we pin.
• I agree that once you put your work out there you loose a fair bit of control...it's the nature of the beast.

That said....I will probably use Pinterest somewhat, or maybe a lot, I'm not sure yet. Personally, I want to be very careful that I give credit where credit is due. Thanks again, for taking the time to comment, I found it very helpful. 

Amendment......as I was answering all my comments on this subject Deborah O'Hare brought my attention to this blog post. This is a very worthwhile read. 

After reading about Pinterest being a Haven for Copyright Violations I might be putting Pinterest to Rest, for me that is.

I'll keep you posted.

Pinterest / To Pin or Not to Pin

Pinterest...do I love it or hate it?

To be honest I'm not sure. I have noticed that some of you don't allow your work to be pinned. 

To be honest I didn't know I had that option. How do you do that anyway?

I would love your opinion....the good, the bad and the ugly.

 I was about to jump on the bandwagon but something is holding me back. I think my biggest reservation is that I'm not notified when I'm being pinned...honest, I didn't feel a single prick. I didn't feel a thing with the re-pinning either...what's that about?

 With Flickr we see who favours our work and we see the comments, which seems more ethical to me.

I would love your honest take on this. 

When Exactly Did I Loose Control??

That's the Question I've been Asking Myself. 


Was it when:

1. I started saying, give me whole bolt, rather than I'll have a fat quarter please.
2. I started working on ten projects at once, rather than one at time...come to think of it I never did work at one project, at a time.
3. I started living in two different provinces.
4. I set up two sewing studios.
5. I started collecting quilting books and magazines by the truck load....that has been going on for a number of years.
6. I sort of started knitting....and of course needed every colour, when I saw a yarn I loved.
7. I became a grandmother.
8. I found Flickr
9. I started blogging.

I can't really say exactly when, but all of the above, definitely contributed.

Overflowing Containers

Overflowing Piles

Many, Many Works In Progress Containers

Hidden Buckets

Towering Containers of Yarn

There are those paragons of virtue that completely clean up, after finishing a project.....I know, I know, it would be a good thing.

And then, there are the organizational books, that tell you to  empty the whole room....what planet are they from, have you seen all the stuff in here?? And then, they only want you to put some of it back, only some of it!!!

I think all the buckets and piles are a reflection of all the ideas racing around my brain...they are sort of out control as well....note to self, the brain could use a little organizational make over as well.

Anyone else out of control? How do you manage it all??

The Beauty of Improvising....is Just That

There is a lot of freedom in improvisational type quilting, if you can get over the initial fear of "making a mistake".  Sometimes "mistakes" bring the most wonderful surprises.

I do a fair bit of improvising in my quilting, but this project is the first time, that I've just put an inspiration photo, in front of me and just started cutting and sewing. My goal is not to make an exact copy but a sort of "free form" copy if you will.

There's the photo.....from the Montreal Metro on my ipad

A little cutting and sewing......

and here we are.

The beauty of this method is there are no drawings to make,  free hand or otherwise, no paper piecing (to finicky for me), no templates, just cutting and sewing . It's sort of like jumping into the deep end, of the pool, if you don't drown you actually swim. 

Since it's only fabric....just how dangerous can it be!!

Free Bee Block for February Finished

A little applique and I finished my Free Block for February.  

 February is my month in the bee. We are all working from our own fabrics and I'm going with an urban, industrial type theme.

Here is my block, based on a photo, I took in the Montreal Metro



Ethne of Flaming Stitches made me the most fabulous block...her work is amazing.


Here is a peek of the block she made for me.

All of the blocks will be different and I'll have the lovely challenge, of putting them all together, in one fabulous quilt. I'll keep you posted, as more of the blocks are made.

Free Bee Block...I Just Started Cutting

I've been anxious to start on my February block for the Free Bee. I've had my Inspiration Photo for a while but haven't had the time to start sewing. So true to form, I threw all caution to the wind and just started cutting and sewing and glancing at photo now and again. After all it's a "Free Bee" and I'm all for improvising.

 

Just the circle left to go...I haven't quite decided what to do yet, so I'll let it sit for a little while.

Inspiration photo

Dual Purpose Sewing Spaces

My sewing room, here on the west coast, definitely has more than one function. When we have house guests, which happens fairly often, it becomes a bedroom. 

 Since, the room is highly visible from the main living area, I've chosen to go with hidden storage, rather than open....totally opposite from my sewing space back in Alberta, which is downstairs away from the rest of the house.

As you can see, I have a sofa bed, rather than a regular bed, which would take up precious space...not quite as comfortable, but well worth the sacrifice.

It suddenly occurred to me, that I could use my four decorative metal pictures, as a bulletin board, since they are magnetic. I've owned these for a number of years and that thought just came to me last week....I'm a little slow some days.

The desk also serves as a night stand...it has an adjustable reading lamp as well, how convenient.

Every Sewing Room needs a cutting table. This is actually a bar height dining room table that has a drop leaf....again a great space saver. It's the perfect height for cutting.

These little dark shelves are actually CD holders.  By hanging them horizontally they have a new purpose....look, they can hold my rulers and who knows what else.

When all cleaned up it still looks good.

The TV stand is actually a dresser  made out of reclaimed lumber....looks great and is wonderful for storage. See all those delicious fat quarters.

All kinds of stuff hidden here.

I also have this fabulous trunk under the window....how perfect this is, for larger pieces of fabric, which of course I have no shortage of. When the lid is down it acts as a bench or  table top.

The only piece of furniture, in the room, that I bought specifically for sewing, is the desk. Sometime it pays to look around the other rooms, in your house, when you are setting up a sewing space.  Moving from one condo to another made me rethink the function of some of my furniture.

I also love the fact that the room can switch from bedroom to studio so easily.  

Right about now, I'm getting pretty sick of the tools.....I really need to get some actual sewing done.

Fragments of Line and Colour....My Process

Just drinking in a little urban inspiration. The sunshine beckoned me outdoors today. I love letting the fragments, of line and colour, dance in my head, like notes in a symphony.

Eventually slivers, of today's walk, will end up in my work......this is a huge part of my process.

I'm going to be working on my urban inspired block this month, but the photo is from last year. I thought a walk would give me a little renewed spark. 

 As long as I don't get side tracked by the new photos.....hmm

Free Bee Block.....A Change of Plans

I've changed my mind on my Free Bee Block for February.  As much as I love my first choice, I feel it's to complex, for this particular project. I'll probably save it for a whole quilt, rather than just the block or two I'll be making, for the Free Bee.

 The word simplify came up a few times in the discussion, amongst the FreeBees....and I am in complete agreement.

I have chosen two of my favorite photos, taken while visiting my daughter, in Montreal last year.

Here are some fabric choices I pulled out of the closet.

OCD Kicking In Big Time / Fresh Sewing Day

A little sewing, a little moving and a lot of OCD kicking in, this month.


 It's Fresh Sewing Day , and how is that even possible.....where did January go?? I think I ask that every month.

I put it all together and then took it all apart.....more than a few times.

 I treat my house like one big design wall.

 Then I move things around...again and again and again.

I'm not sure if I'm artistic or have OCD.....because once I start I can't stop.

 I need to start doing a little more sewing and a lot less moving.

If you have time, be sure to stop at Lily's Quilts and see what everyone was up to in January.