Telecast Thursday - Organization with Wunderlist

It's Thursday again, and you know what that means: another episode of Telecast Thursday.

I have a hard time keeping myself organized. Okay, really, I have a hard time keeping my distractions to a minimum, and it can seem that the tasks I have to do in my business seem to be overwhelming. I need a system to keep myself organized. I need a system that will categorize my tasks and break them into smaller chunks. I need a system that will send me reminders - and keep sending me reminders - of the tasks I need to accomplish. Thankfully, there's Wunderlist!

Wunderlist is an app that you can use on your computer, your iPad or your smartphone. Okay, if you don't like to use technology, just hear me out first before you discard this method. I also like to have paper in my hand and Wunderlist allows me to print out my tasks so they are right in front of me.

Check out the video below or on my Youtube channel to see why I love this app.

Do you have a favourite method to keep yourself organized (or are you easily distracted as I am?)? Let me know what your system is and why you like it in the comments below.

Subscribe to my Youtube channel to receive automatic notifications when new videos are posted. You can also click on the Chatterbox Quilts logo in the lower right corner on the video itself to subscribe. If you like what you see, please share my videos with your fellow creatives.

Creatively,

Celebrating!

I'm doing a happy dance today and I'll tell you why: I've reached over 1000 subscribers on my Youtube channel!

I can remember when I only had a handful of subscribers and was just thrilled that someone was watching my content. I was over the moon when I reached 500 subscribers and am definitely doing a happy dance due to my over 1000 subscribers.

Thanks so much for your support. Your comments and questions let me know that you're watching and interested in what I'm creating.

Charlie and Teeka are also excited about this milestone and want to share their excitement with you. You can watch the video below or on my Youtube channel.

I hope you'll continue to watch my videos and let me know what you're interested in seeing on my channel. As for me, I'm planning my next videotaping so you'll continue to receive new videos each and every week – guaranteed!

If you aren't already a subscriber, be sure to join the group at Chatterbox Quilts.

Creatively,

Changes to the Chatterbox Quilts' Blog

I've recently made a few additions to my blog and website of which I wanted you to be aware. No major changes, just a few additions that I hope will be helpful for my readers.

I'm still getting used to blogging on Squarespace and realized that there isn't an easy way to find blog posts on a certain subject, for example, quilting. I've added a block to the blog sidebar where you can now find all of the blog posts on a specific subject. You'll now see "Click to Display Blog Categories" at the top of the right sidebar.

This is what you'll now see at the top of the blog sidebar on the right side.

You can now click this and a dropdown menu will appear with various subjects in it. You'll also find the number of blog posts on each subject in brackets next to the category. You can click on the desired category and all of the posts on that subject will appear. Just like magic!

When you click on the down arrow, you'll see the various subject categories as well as the number of blogposts about those subjects.

There is another way to find blog posts in a specific category if you are reading a blog post. You'll note that there is a date and a category under each blog post title, such as "July 1, 2015 in Quilting". If you click on the category (Quilting, in this case), it will bring up all of the blog posts on quilting.

You'll see the category next to the date that the blogpost was published. Go ahead and click on it to bring up all the blogposts in this category.

You'll see "Articles in Quilting" at the top of the list of blog posts, so you'll know which category in which these blog posts appear.

You'll see "Articles in ..." whatever subject you've clicked on.

I hope that you'll find this feature helpful and that it makes it easier to search for blog posts on a specific subject.

I've also made a few changes in the "Free Stuff" area of the website (if you can come up with a better name for this page, please let me know). I now have Embroidery Tutorials and Fabric-y Tutorials (which is anything other than embroidery tutorials) in this section of the website. I've added videos to the content on these pages and will continue to update them with the most recent videos in these areas.

Check out the Store page while you're looking through the website as I've recently added a few more new patterns to it.

If you have any suggestions for my website, please let me know. 

Creatively,

Freshen up Your Stash!

Looking for some fresh spring fabrics and kits? There’s no better time than today, now that you can save up to 60% on top kits, fabric and yarn on Craftsy! Florals, pastels and on-trend spring selections are just the beginning. Go ahead, pick yourself a beautiful bouquet of new supplies while the savings last. 

I'm especially interested in the quilting kits that are going to be on sale. I'm sure I need just a few new fabrics :)

At up to 60% off, you'll want to take advantage of these savings, so don't wait: this offer ends Sunday - shop now!

 

*Please note that I am a Craftsy affiliate and will be compensated should you purchase anything through the links above. Thank you!

Technology and the Quilter

I was thinking about my interview with Brandy Maslowski on Canadian Quilt Talk. We covered a wide range of topics and I am sure I lived up to the name of my company, Chatterbox Quilts. It was fun talking about how I began quilting and how things have changed at Chatterbox Quilts over the years. We discussed how much technology has changed the way we interact with each other.

I got the idea for this mixed media collage from browsing on-line.

What keeps me busy has certainly changed a lot over the past couple of years. I have a greater focus on creating videos, both on Youtube and Curious.com. I find that it can sometimes be more effective to show someone how to do a craft in a video rather than to write about it. It's like a one-on-one conversation with my viewer. I'm still writing my blog but I use it as another way to communicate with my subscribers.

One of my more popular Youtube videos about my latest (new) machine.

I also use Facebook (where I have a fan page and a group) and Instagram (although I'm still learning this app) to communicate small snippets of information about what I'm creating or the latest idea that's caught my eye with my followers, subscribers and friends. Both of these sites allow me to keep up with fellow quilters and see what the latest trends are.

I don't know how I'd conduct my business without technology. It allows me to blog, send out newsletters (subscribe in the sidebar for Chatterbox Times), chat with creatives in other countries and post videos to help others. I wouldn't be able to sell my downloadable patterns without today's technology!

While it can sometimes be distracting, I've found that technology has allowed me to connect with quilters all over the world and make new friends with similar interests. I use it to learn new techniques and find information about vintage sewing machines. Where else would I find a manual for a vintage Singer 15-91 sewing machine or learn about upcoming quilt shows and events? While my husband might say, "You don't need to know that", I think he's in the minority.

While it can sometimes be distracting, I've found technology to be more of a help than a hindrance. While I might get other things accomplished if I didn't spend so much time on Facebook, I would miss out on all those cute cat photos and videos.

Let me know if you find technology a help or a distraction. Just leave me a comment below. And let me know your favourite cat photo LOL