This stack available here... I have received several emails about me taking on sponsors. Of course, not in a rude or questioning sort of way... more of a genuine interest. So today I thought I would take a few moments to have an open discussion with ya'll because I always want to be real here.
When I started this blog back in late 2009, I had no idea it would grow like it has. I have made so many great quilting friends here and I wouldn't change a single thing about my blog. Late last year I started getting inquiries about sponsorship I was surprised. I thought that only the big blogs had sponsors!
So when 2011 rolled around and I was examining my own goals both personal and professionally, the subject of sponsorship popped up again. The problem was, those asking to sponsor my blog were not people I know or have shopped with. Now, I'm sure they are great shops and perhaps I will shop with them at some point but I could not in good conscience recommend online stores that I do not have personal experience with. I love my readers and ya'll deserve only the best!
And then there is the personal side of all of this. I love to quilt, I love to write and I would do both even if my only reader was Steve. But sewing and blogging take time and time is my most precious commodity. So to have a little bit to show for it is a nice tangible benefit for my family... that and I'm not raiding the family bank account to buy fabric {I can hear Steve clapping right now}. Additionally, we have had to make some adjustments to our budget recently because of another persons decisions and it stinks. But like my Intersection{s} post, I can either complain or be resourceful. I'm choosing to be resourceful because it's the right thing to do AND it's a lot more fun.
Lastly, I love supporting homegrown stores like Fresh Squeezed Fabrics and Marmalade Fabrics. Both of these ladies are stay at home moms who are being resourceful. I love that and I want to support them. I don't ever want to have an entire sidebar devoted to sponsors. I plan on taking on no more than three to four at one time because I don't read blogs for the advertising and I don't want my blog to feel like that either. But if you want to know where I shop, that I will gladly share and at the same time hopefully send a few quilting friends to some awesome fabric shops.
Have a wonderful weekend and don't forget to enter the giveaway for a fat stack of Ty Pennington's Impressions fabric! I will announce the winner on Monday and share my Swell quilt-in-the-snow pictures.
