The Name Game: The Q and the U

I'm so excited to have Riel Nason here from The Q and the U. She is a fellow selvage-obsessed quilter who does the MOST amazing and original work with selvages.

This is Riel's blog header. Isn't it the best?? I really want to borrow this idea and make a pillow. (NOTE: I may get a bit gushy in this post because, well, it's mostly about selvages!!)


1. Riel, how did you choose the name, The Q and the U?

 I actually had the little tag line "Quietly Quilting in Quispamsis" chosen before the blog name.  But I knew that Quispamsis (the name of my town) would be hard to remember and maybe hard to spell if you weren't familiar with it.  What the three main words have in common though, is a letter Q and a letter U.  So after playing with that thought for a bit I very simply decided on "The Q and the U."  I thought it was straightforward, different, hopefully easy to remember, and certainly easy to spell ;-)

 (Great photography idea--black and white background to really make the colors in the quilt pop.)


2. Were there other names you considered, and can you share any of them with us?

I can't remember having other names chosen.  I did take a little time to think of what other words started with Qu that I could maybe throw into the tagline, but "quirkily" or "quickly" quilting don't quite have the right ring, although they may be apt descriptors for what I do.

 3. Now that you are recognized by The Q and the U, are you happy with it, or do you wish you could change it to something else? 

I like my blog name.  I really have never thought about changing it.  Thanks so much Cindy for inviting me to play The Name Game.

 

Riel, you areso welcome. I'm so happy you played along. Your work is stunning!  

 

I had to grab these two pictures as well. Halloween is just around the corner, and look at what Riel is working on now. 

I'm also going to do a little promo plug here because Riel has written a novel that will be released in October. You can read more about it here. While you are there, be sure to check out more of the amazing quilts that Riel has made.

Next week, Kelly will be here from Pinkadot Quilts. Another fascinating name--you won't want to miss it.

The Name Game: Sonnet of the Moon

Crystal from Sonnet of the Moon is here today. I'm actually flying back from Minnesota today. Isn't it great to be able to plan ahead via technology? I'd love to be able to tell you whether I have met Crystal in person or not (I sure hope the answer is yes), but you'll just have to wait until tomorrow to find out.

1. How did you choose the name for your blog, Sonnet of the Moon?

A long time ago, there was a man who sent me a poem. I was just 19 and he was sweet and kind. And although I tried, I did not love him. Could not, actually. My heart had just been broken by someone else. But there was the poem...

A Sonnet of the Moon

Look how the pale queen of the silent night
Doth cause the ocean to attend upon her,
And he, as long as she is in his sight,
With her full tide is ready her to honor.
But when the silver wagon of the moon
Is mounted up so high he cannot follow,
The sea calls home his crystal waves to moan,
And with low ebb doth manifest his sorrow.
So you that are the sovereign of my heart
Have all my joys attending on your will;
My joys low-ebbing when you do depart,
When you return their tide my heart doth fill.
So as you come and as you do depart,
Joys ebb and flow within my tender heart.
-Charles Best

I had not been a fan of poetry before that day but I immediately fell in love with the beautiful imagery. It haunted me and I felt felt my broken heart mend just a little. A few years later, I started an online journal. I chose the name "Sonnet of the Moon" without thinking twice. And when I switched over to a "real" blog, it was the obvious choice. After so many years using the name, it feels like a part of me. It's not clever nor does it describe my creative passions, but it makes me happy.

2. Were there other names you considered, and can you share any of them with us?

Before I started my blog, I very briefly tried to think of something that would work better as a business name. You know, just in case I ever wanted to sell things. But when the time came, I didn't feel like any of my ideas were any good. And more importantly, they all felt like strangers...not at all the warm and familiar name I had always loved.

3. Now that you are recognized by your Sonnet of the Moon, are you happy with it, or do you wish you could change it to something else?

After ten years, I still love that poem and the name it inspired. I'm comfortable with it now...we are the oldest and dearest of friends.

Crystal has often gotten emails from me, asking about a particular fabric she has used. And in many cases I have been the recipient of little fabric presents in the mail from her. She is very creative and generous. I'm so glad she was here today. Please stop by her blog, look around and say hi.

By now many of you know I am completely obsessed with selvages. Don't you think it's about time someone equally as obsessed is spotlighted on The Name Game? Next week I'm super excited to have Riel Nason from Quispamisquilter. If you haven't seen what she does with selvages, you are in for a huge treat!

The Name Game: FairyFace Designs

Happy 4th to everyone here in the U.S.

I'm so happy to welcome Sarah from FairyFace Designs, all the way from Cork, Ireland. Ireland is one of the places I hope to visit some day. In fact, one of my all-time best memories involved seeing the Chieftains in concert in Minneapolis, which began my love of Irish music.

So, Sarah, how did you choose the name, FairyFace Designs?

Fairy Face was my dad's nickname for me as a little girl. Originally when I started my blog, I was thinking about trying to start a small business selling handmade baby gifts and I thought that FairyFace worked well for that profile. I've moved away from that original idea now, but I still like the name :-)

Were there other names you considered, and can you share any of them with us?

I did think about other names and considered names like Fabric & Yarn or something similar but none of them were really working for me!

Now that you are recognized by FairyFace Designs, are you happy with it, or do you wish you could change it to something else?

I sometimes do wish I had a different name, I wonder if it sounds a bit "little girl-ish" and also, its so personal to me - maybe too personal - it doesn't help keep that distance between who I am and what I do/what I blog about. I do wonder from time to time about changing from FairyFace Designs to FairyFace Quilts or a variation of FairyFace....but I've built up a lot of name recognition now, after almost a year blogging and I get a lot of hits on searches using the FairyFace Designs name so I'd be a little scared to change it now!!

Thanks so much, Sarah, for sharing the background of your blog's name. I snagged a couple of extra pictures from your blog (hope you don't mind!) because you do beautiful work, and I thought these blocks were so fun and colorful. Please stop by FairyFace Designs, look around and say hi to Sarah.

I'll be spending next weekend in Minnesota at a quilt retreat. So in honor of that, I'll be featuring a Minnesotan, Crystal from Sonnet of the Moon. You won't want to miss it! I'm really hoping that Crystal and I will have a chance to connect while I'm there, if only for a quick cup of coffee.

The Name Game: During Quiet Time

I am so thrilled to have Amy from During Quiet Time here today playing The Name Game. She does the most amazing linocut designs, and then prints them onto fabric. I have enough of her wonderful designs that I consider myself an official collector. This will be a picture-heavy post, but you will soon understand why. Not only does she do amazing things with fabric, you will love her photography skills as well.

1. How did you choose During Quiet Time?

(wouldn't you just love to spend a little quiet time here, reading a book?)

I started my blog at my husband's insistence. I was pregnant with my now 2-year-old Penelope and was spending too much time analyzing my every twinge and pain of the first trimester and worrying about losing her. My husband thought I needed something to pour my energy into besides worry. He sat down at the computer and said, "OK, what do you want to call it?" During Quiet Time was the first thing that came to mind simply because I find time for my creative endeavors while my children rest in the afternoon and once they are asleep.

2. Were there other names you considered, and can you share any of them with us?

I am really terrible at catchy names. While I would have happily considered other names, none came to mind and this one wasn't taken so we went with it!

3. Now that you are recognized by During Quiet Time, are you happy with it, or do you wish you could change it to something else?

I have mixed feelings about this one. Right now,"quiet time" in our household equals naptime but once my children are grown, I will still have a need for my own quiet time and I will continue to fill that time with sewing and printing fabric and making art. What I don't like about the name is that I feel like it labels me as a mother first because the name choice is so closely tied to the nature of my days while raising children. Honestly, in my day-to-day existence, my role as mother does come first. But I like to think that my blog is my place, someplace where I am not a mother of three but a creative person with a need to make things! I didn't pick up sewing as a hobby once I was home with my children. Rather, I found time to continue to nurture my creative side once I became a mother.

Thanks so much, Amy!

Be sure you take time to go to During Quiet Time and say hi.

Also head over to her etsy shop, so you can "look and see" what she has available. I bought this fabric to make something for my son, who is an optometrist. Perfect, isn't it?

I probably have never mentioned this before, but one place I have always wanted to visit is Ireland. I love Irish music and step dancing, have nearly ever CD recorded by the Chieftains, have seen Riverdance live twice and listened to my Riverdance CD so many times it's almost worn out. Unfortunately, actually visiting Ireland is not in my near travel plans. Instead, I have the next best thing--Sarah from  FairyFace Designs will be here next week, all the way from Cork, Ireland! You won't want to miss it.

The Name Game: verykerryberry

I'm thrilled to have Kerry with verykerryberry here on the Name Game today. Kerry is from the UK, and if you haven't seen some of her work yet, you are in for a big treat!. Seriously. I'll start with a picture before we even get to the questions.

1. How did you choose the name for your blog?

I wish I had a more interesting answer but it came from my user name on Flickr. Originally I wanted kerryberry--my husband calls me that and I thought it was cute and easy for me to remember, but what do you know, someone already had it so I put "very" in front and that name was available--when I started my blog it seemed logical to stick with the same name. I knew I wanted my blog name and the blog address to be the same, and verykerryberry wasn't too long or too short and I like all the e, r and y letters--is that weird? I have since found that when I print the name using stamps it is hard to have enough e's, r's and y's. I have always blogged really closely along with being active in Flickr so it made sense that my Flickr name led to my blog name.

2.   Were there other names you considered, and if so, are there any you can share with us?

I did start with these things I like...these things I make...as a sort of secondary title and I used things I liked and things I had made as a way of structuring my early posts. I just had a look at the first few entries--they are rather sparse!

3. Now that you are known by verykerryberry, are you happy with the name you chose or do you wish you could change it?

When I first registered with etsy, I didn't realise that user names were so fixed so my first etsy account was Kerry R. Green--hmmm, imaginative! So I knew that I had to find something that I was comfortable with. It is personal and it provides a persona too, which makes blogging easier. I know who I am as verykerryberry, it is my inner sewing and vintage obsessed self.

 
Thanks, Kerry! I hope you all go over to verykerryberry, say hi and have a look around.

Next week, I'm thrilled to have Amy from During Quiet Time. You won't want to miss it!

The Name Game: Poppyprint

I am so excited to have Krista from Poppyprint featured today, telling us how she chose her blog name. She was recently chosen by Quilter's Home as one of the 55 top blogs and there is a good reason for that!

(Of COURSE I had to begin with her selvage Chinese Coins!)

1. How did you choose the name, Poppyprint?

About 10 years ago, when my children were in Montessori pre-school, we invited their teacher over for tea in the garden. When she saw our giant poppy seed pods towering over all of the other plants in the garden, she asked if we'd ever tried using them as stampers. Pre-schoolers don't need much more encouragement than that, when it comes to ink pads, paper and something to stamp out over and over and over! When I saw the amazing symmetry and lines in the stamped images, I knew right away I had found my 'logo': my future business name and something to look forward to. One day, I might even sell something I'd made, and this would be me: Poppyprint. It took about seven more years for me to actually need a name when I started selling handcrafted items in my quilt guild's show boutique, and finally in 2009 when I started blogging I didn't have to agonize over a clever name, because I really loved "Poppyprint."

(Dresdens and red polka dots--on my list of things to do!)

2. Were there other names you considered, and can you share any of them with us?

Nope! I have a terrible time naming quilts and trying to come up with a clever blog name would have been impossible! I'm amazed by some of the hilarious and clever wordplay names in blogland.

3. Now that you are recognized by Poppyprint, are you happy with it, or do you wish you could change it to something else?


I'm super happy. I couldn't possibly change now because I've even got a nickname! My friend Lynne (who had me fooled for months with her blog name Lily's Quilts--I thought I had TWO new friends!) calls me Pops. That makes me smile every time I see it in a Flickr comment or an email. The friends I've made since I started blogging are just incredible. Thanks for inviting me on The Name Game, it's a really fun idea, Cindy!!

Thanks so much for playing this week, Krista, and sharing some of your beautiful work.  I hope you all go over to Poppyprint, have a look around and say hi.

Next week we'll hear the story behind verykerryberry.

The Name Game: Lollyquiltz

I'm so happy to have Carla from Lollyquiltz playing The Name Game today. As some of you may know, Carl and I recently discovered how many parallel things we have in common with each other:  we were both born the same year, we both got married in the same year to someone we met at college in Kansas, we both have red hair, adore our grandchildren and are completely passionate about quilting. So we jokingly think we must be sisters separated at birth!

Let's learn a little more about how Carla decided on the name Lollyquiltz.

1. How did you choose the name for Lollyquiltz?

For those who know me well and my family, the name Lollyquiltz is not much of a surprise! Here's the long version of the the name "Lolly": When I was a very small child learning to say my name, Carla, apparently what came out sounded like "La La." My mother thought it was cute and changed it to Lolly, calling me by that nickname into my college years when I one day asked her to please stop. (Weirdly, I was THEN sad that she stopped!) Fast forward 30 years or so and I found out that I was soon to become a grandmother. I spent a lot of time thinking about what my grandmother name should be. For some reason, Lolly came to mind as a choice. When I asked my children what they thought of it, two out of three said "Go for it!" My oldest son, who rolled his eyes, as I recall, had to go with the majority rule! Lolly has turned out to be a great choice because it is easy for my grandies to say at a very early age (usually, they say La La first!) Because quilting is such a passion of mine and was to be the theme of my blog when it began, Lolly Quilts seemed perfect. I changed the last "s" to "z" just to be silly and different and ran the two words together into one, Lollyquiltz.

2. Were there other names you considered, and can you share any of them with us?

There were a few others that I considered when I began my blog a little over a year ago. We had recently moved to the country after living in the city for years. Our house sort of resembles a cottage, I think, so "Cottage Quilts" was a consideration, or "Quilting in the Country." I decided that they were both sort of generic. Lollyquiltz is pretty unique!

3. Now that you are recognized by Lollyquiltz, are you happy with it, or do you wish you could change it to something else?


I actually really like my blog name. It is short and pretty easy to remember, I think. The only drawback is that the "z'" on the end can be confusing, maybe. Oh well!

 (Carla is a Moda Bakeshop chef--you can get the pattern for this awesome quilt here)

I hope you will all head over to Lollyquiltz and say hello to Carla, and do some looking around while you're there. She has some awesome tutorials!

Next week we'll discover how Krista came up with the name Poppyprint Creates. You won't want to miss it.