Observations of a Lurker

I've been doing lots of lurking lately; for whatever reason, I haven't felt very sociable, so I haven't commented (or posted) much, but I do read.  As I read, I started to divide quilting bloggers into categories.   Most bloggers tend to drift and don't fit in the same category all the time, but everyone has a default setting.  See if you agree with my list.

The Neighborly Blogger    Reading this kind of blog is like going back to the old days when you could chat with your neighbor over the back fence or stop in for coffee while walking the dog.  She will show what she's working on, talk about her day, show pictures of her children, pets, or grandchildren.  This is probably the most common type of blog.

There are subtypes in this group: the Bossy Neighbor, who will give you a pattern to follow along with step by step, or the One Up Neighbor who always seems to have a nice new "toy" to play with or have been somewhere exotic or maybe just has cuter grandchildren.

The Trendy Blogger  Here's where you find out all about the latest "in" stuff.  The word of the year, the sketchbook challenge,  the "let's all post the same thing on the same day" sort of game. The beginning of the year is a big time for trends, but many of them fizzle pretty quickly.  Still it's good to be in the know, and if you're in a passive, observing mood like me, watching the world of trends go by is fun.

The Instructive Blogger  Want to learn a new embroidery stitch, how to make a perfect mitered corner, how to make a stencil out of stale bread?  Someone out there can tell you, with pictures or a video, and maybe sell you a book or a pattern too.    These blogs are a service; they're part of what the Information Superhighway is all about.

The Philosophical Blogger  Is what I'm doing Art, or just Craft?  How can I grow on my Artistic Journey? When will fabric reach its deserved place as a Medium?  These bloggers meditate on the Big Questions.  The sub-type of this blogger is someone who disagrees, maybe snarkily, with other bloggers' answers to these Big Questions.  I love these people!  Seriously.  And I really love the snarky ones.

The Informative Blogger  Here you'll find lots of pictures of quilt shows, shops, new fabric lines, or links to other interesting blogs.  These bloggers help spread news the rest of us want to know.  They must be the blogosphere's  gossipy neighbor.

The blogging world has as many different personalities as the real world.  Did you recognize yourself in any of these descriptions? I did.  Sorry, I can't help it if my grandchildren are the cutest!