Aug 4, 2007

Quilting Blogs: Pay It Forward (In Many Ways)


The Pay It Forward movement ( which refers to the repaying of of good deeds received by doing good things for others) is gaining momentum around the quilting circle. I write from my little blog, here, in Salem, Oregon, and as I write (and others read and participate) it spreads out into the much broader quilt blogging world beyond!

The concept, that is currently being circulated, is based on a request that we make a post requesting 3 participants to respond to a 'Pay It Forward' post. When I posted, I offered a double play...that the first 6 bloggers to email me would each receive a gift from me .....and they, in turn, post a similar offer on their blogs and agreed to mail gifts to another 3 or more bloggers who responded to their post.

One of my post responders, Terry Crawford (who is the new Staff Writer for Quilting By Design, and manages an online quilting forum, called Quilting Passion Forum) came up with a wonderful parallel idea. Her idea, posted on her Quilt Talk is an expansion of the concept into a blog reading participation. Each participant reading a blog (like this one!), is to post a comment on that blog and then paying it forward by reading a 'new' blog that day and again posting on it.

As each of us expands our willingness to read and learn about new bloggers, we not only expand our own world outside of the more limited one that each of us visits each day, but we also become active contributors in a broader sense, in the quilting community. The 'Paying of it Forward' into blog reading is then, quite lovely and almost instantaneous.

Today, when I was checking on my own blog, after only a few days of posting my own Pay It Forward offer, I discovered that my blog is now being listed on Kaye Wood's new blog called Kayes Quilting Friends . This is just how rewarding making new friends (and bright new contacts :) can be! Suddenly, you are reading and making new blogger friends...instantly! What a delight!

Thanks, Terry! The 'gift' is not quite in the mail yet...but at least I'm filled with possibilities of ideas as well as gratitude for just how wonderful the quilting community...and its quilters...truly are! And, of course...I just spent some wonderful time reading new blogs and making new friends as I, in turn, re-payed you forward, again :)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is dizzying how inter-connected we all truely are. Not just on this blogger level, but in multiple ways, multi-directionally. Not just quilting, but quilting through life, challenges, diseases, tradgedies and triumphs. I appriciate the info on the Gee Bend, had heard some and read less. I would like to see more pics..where to look?

Debi said...

Terry Crawford is a dear friend of mine. I am also a member of the Quilting Passion forum. It is truly amazing on how many contacts and friends you can make on these blogs and forums.

Katie said...

Super idea and I'm off to visit someone new to me.