My friend Kootoyoo. x

I feel like I've told the story I am about to tell you a hundred times. To friends, in interviews and whenever else I am asked the question 'What made you start a blog?' But you know what? I don't think I have ever written it here. So here goes:

Waaaaaaaay back in the beginning of 2009 I was a farm blogger. I had a blog called Daylesford Organics which documented and told the stories of our days on the farm. The who we were, the what we were growing and the theory behind the why we were running this organic family farm.

I loved writing that blog.

But once I discovered the world of blogs, the blogs I found myself reading and obsessing over were the craft blogs. There was this big, wide, crafty world out there. People were photographing and writing about what they were sewing and crocheting and painting and making and parenting. Who knew?

At that time I was still a farm blogger and a bit too shy to get involved in the crafty blog goings on. But I remember clearly one day discovering this crafty community project and knowing that I had found my peeps and that I couldn't stay away any longer.

That project was the Quilt project. Do you remember it? Fifty bloggers signed up and each was sent a plain piece of over locked calico on which they were to stitch something, anything, in their own style, in red. The squares would then be sent back and made into a great big, gorgeous quilt. The whole blog world seemed to be buzzing with these squares and this project. The excitement was infectious.

Coordinating this whole awesome community project was a blogger called Kootoyoo.

My one blogging regret is not being a crafty blogger early enough in the piece to be part of the quilt project.

But very soon after that Foxs Lane was born. June 2009 to be precise.

And while I was incredibly excited at having my own space to document the stuff I was making, I still had no idea how to get into that community.

Until I found My Creative Space, coordinated and hosted by that very same Kirsty of Kootoyoo.

Every Thursday Kirsty would put a post up on her blog detailing what creative amazingness she was up to that week. Then at the bottom of her post she'd set up a thing where all the other bloggers could link up and share their week's creative spaces.

Every week I looked forward to Thursday. To posting my space and getting lots of feedback on what I was doing, to getting a glimpse into the creative worlds of so many other inspiring craftspeople and most importantly, to join that community.

My creative space was my in.

And the reason I am telling this story today, in case you haven't guessed, is my awesome new banner. Three and a bit years later I am lucky enough to call Kirsty a real life friend and she made it for me. How unbelievably rad is that!

Kirsty's blog is here; I'm certain you know and love her already. Kirsty still runs My Creative Space on Thursdays and has the most incredible way of seeing the world and its creative opportunities. All the pics on this post are obviously Kisty's too.

Thanks Kirst, you are the absolute acest. xx

So how about you?
Were you a part of the red quilt project?
Were/are you a My Creative Space devotee?
When and why did you start your blog?
And is there a particular blogger who has influenced your blogging journey?

Bye! x