Seven Years of Artful Quilt Blog Ringing!

I owe a lot to the Artful Quilters Blog Ring.  Back in January, 2005 -- yikes, SEVEN years ago now -- I'd just started blogging and was hunting around for other quilt-related blogs.  I founds scads of knitting blogs, thanks to a blog ring box I found somewhere along the way ... I learned immediately how finding one blog I liked allowed me to click a button and find a host of others.  There wasn't anything like that for art and contemporary quilting back then -- so, I jumped in and set up the Artful Quilters Blog Ring.  Over the last seven years, we've grown to over 150 blogs!  (When I think about it, enthusiasm, impulse, and naive ignorance have taken me to rather exciting places!)

Through the ring, I've made some wonderful friends.  I've learned great techniques, and I've gotten more inspiration than I'll ever be able to use up in my lifetime.  When I thought I'd enjoy a quilt challenge or two, I emailed some of the AQ bloggers, and we formed our Twelve by Twelve challenge group.  I'd never have predicted that that would lead to a book, international exhibits, and amazing travel opportunities. 

If you have a blog and are not on the ring, you are welcome to join!  Here is the information:

Artful Quilters Web Ring
This web ring is for quilt artists and contemporary quilt makers to share their blogs, exchange thoughts about the process of art quilting, and share other bits of life that swirl around (and get in the way of) quilt making.

Do you want to join us?  Here are the ring guidelines:

1. The ring is intended for blogs that focus primarily on art and contemporary quilting.  While we enjoy traditional quilts, this ring is not for blogs about traditional quilting.  Your blog can be about other things, too; it's fun to read about what else you are doing in your life.  But if a reader finds your blog and can't tell that you make art or contemporary quilts, then this is not the ring for you.  As a rough guideline, your blog should have some quilt-related content once a month or more.  
2. The blog needs to be regularly updated. Any blogs not updated at least once a month will be moved to the queue. If you have not updated in over three months your site will be moved to the inactive list. You are welcome to re-join the ring if /when you start posting again. I understand that real life can and does get in the way of blogging, so there is no judgment implied if your blog is moved.  It's just that people stop using the ring if they repeatedly travel to blogs with stale entries.
3. You must include the ring code on the face page of your blog, so that visitors can surf to the blogs of other members more easily. After all, that's the whole point of this ring. At a minimum, the ring code must include a link to the ring's home and the Next and Previous links. Anyone who has not added the code to their site within two weeks of application will be removed from the ring. If you have trouble finding the current ring code, email me at dphock(at)comcast(dot)net and I will help you.
4. This is NOT a commercial site.  This ring is not for commercial sites, general quilt-gallery websites, or other non-blog websites. If your blog is merely a listing of items for sale or advertisement for your shop, this blog ring is not for you. You are welcome to sell things on/through your blog, but for this ring, I ask that your blog have content which is largely non-commercial.
5. You must have at least 5 entries on a new blog (some of which must be about art or contemporary quilting) in order to join. 

To submit your blog to the ring, click HERE.