this blog is moving to Substack!
This week I am already moving house and moving my sewing studio, so I thought, “why not move my blog as well?” Wink ;)
Naaah, it really wasn’t like that, but it just so happens that everything IS moving this week. It just so happens that this is good news for everyone. And, as Beth commented Friday, I do seem to love a challenge!
Bottom line: You don’t need to do a thing. If you subscribe to Stitched in Color, you will continue receiving this blog via email. Bonus! You now receive the whole blog post via email, instead of just an excerpt. No need to click through to read. But please do click through to comment.
Pretty please?
In the new Stitched in Color emails you will find the comment button at the very bottom. It will look like the screenshot above (this is just an image, they don’t click!). See that Comment option in the center with the little chat bubble? Yep, that will take you directly to commenting on the blog post, which lives on Substack. The first time that you comment you will have to submit your email address along with the Substack comment form; but, after that you’ll be able to comment without typing your email address each time. Good?
Q: Rachel, why oh why are you doing this to us? Why the change?
A: Dearest reader. I take this step with utmost seriousness and care. Be reassured that my website, StitchedinColor.com, will still exist, along with all the years of free tutorials, the blog archives, my quilting services, the patterns for sale - really everything stays. The only change is that my new blog posts will be written and published at a place called Substack.
Substack is a social media platform for writers and bloggers. Maybe you were reading blogs in the good old days of Google Reader? Think of Substack as return of the Reader! The platform has been around since 2017 and it has fostered a community of actual writers and readers and commenters who are connecting with each other in an old-fashioned, personal manner. It’s not about perfect photos or entertaining videos. It’s about long-form content. (Hey, that’s me!) The platform has some great tools for connecting as a community, which I envision using in our sew-alongs. Plus, no commercials!
If you want that Return of the Reader feeling, you are going to want to use the Substack app. If you like things just the way things are, no need to get the app. Just keep reading Stitched in Color from your email - it’ll be like nothing happened.
Follow the $$$
Substack doesn’t make its money with ads, and they promise never to go that route. So, while that’s true, let’s enjoy it.
Substack does make money by taking a cut of writer’s subscription earnings. They encourage writers to recruit paid subscribers. But - good news! - my intent is to keep this blog free. I don’t have any concrete plans to use the paywall. If I ever do, it will be for new/extra stuff, not moving my current quilty content behind the wall.
And one last thing - Substack makes sending out my blog via email free. FREE! This is great because there are more of you reading all of the time and my newsletter bill just keeps climbing. So that’s very cool for me, and I hope you will support this change with that in mind.
the Cliff Notes
From now on, my blog will be published on a platform called Substack. If you subscribe via emails, you are still subscribed and nothing has to change.
Substack is a chance to return to the good old days of blogging, with extra community features built-in.
Substack is free for you and me!!!
This change goes into effect on November 27th.
Not yet subscribed?
Let’s take care of that, shall we? First you will receive a series of welcome emails and my Stash Curator to help you build a fabric stash that you love. After that series is complete, you will start receiving my blog posts via email through Substack.
Do you prefer to follow via a feed reader? My new RSS feed address is stitchedincolor.substack.com/feed. You will need to add this new feed to your reader, as you will not be automatically switched over.
Already subscribed?
My next blog post (on Wednesday) will be sent out via Substack, as well as all future posts. If you suddenly stop hearing from me, please check your spam folder and your promotions folder. If you find me in either place (sniff), please take action so that we don’t lose touch. You can mark me “not spam” and add my new sending email address to your address book. If you find me in your promotions tab, you can select the message and move it to your inbox. Then opt to have all future messages sent to your inbox when a little pop-up presents that option.
Fingers crossed that this transition goes smoothly! If you find yourself quite unhappy with the change, please do let me know. I absolutely would want to hear about that and take your feelings in consideration for the future.
with my love and thanks,
Rachel
p.s. Here’s what Stitched in Color looks like on Substack.