In A Bookish, Quilty Mood

  Said quilt top prior to basting; hopefully it will be better featured once it's done. But only a few; I never did get around to snapping pics of the latest quilt top on the laundry line. Now it's basted and well.... Hopefully tomorrow I'll get it under the machine for some quilting, then sit with it on the sofa for some hand-stitching. That's the plan, but certainly subject to change. I am taking seriously this semi-retirement gig, in the letting things languish department, or not getting quilt tops photographed as I would previously have done. What's more, I am not at all bothered about it; regret might be just a little strong to describe my feelings. Other activities have emerged, like making playlists for my music player on my phone, reading through Alvin's Farm books and making small edits, then uploading those revised versions onto Smashwords. I cooked a pork roast for lunch today, after yesterday griping at my husband how I don't like to cook. I...

  A screenshot from this morning's revisions of The Hawk . Coming home, even from a brief absence, usually proffers an altered vision. That used to not be the case on a consistent basis, but lately I've found even a weekend away brings insights not previously considered. I don't know if it's aging, I guess it must be. Suddenly I see things, from writing to sewing, in a different light. Perhaps it's the light itself, altering from spring to summer, adding to the emerging notion of change. The lengthening days are a beauty in themselves, as though the winter months were fiction. I know better, lol, but it's still a sight to behold. Currently I'm reading from the Alvin's Farm series, not having checked out those books in a while. I make notes where I find prose that needs a lift, then last night I scrolled through the story on my phone, updating the manuscript. I'm not alone in this task, recently reading about Alice Munro , the Canadian short story au...

My husband and I are spending the Memorial Day weekend with family. We drove yesterday and will see all the grandkids tomorrow and Sunday, always a thrill to be gathered together. The weather is forecast to be sunny but not hot, a perfect combination of relatives and camaraderie. A few days ago in the early morning I was seated under a lap quilt I did not make, but have mended. The quilt was a gift from my sister-in-law, in that it was a thrift store find that I fell in love with at her house and she gladly gave it to me, aware she had too many thrift store treats. The quilt required significant repair, so I patched it with my fave fabric scraps. Yet it was difficult laying those lovely prints over the painstaking EPP that was ages old, but starting to fray. The eight-point diamond stars were carefully designed, beautiful in their simplicity, but well loved, and perhaps partially bleached, the colours washed out in places along solid strips forming the borders. Still it's dear to m...

One quilt top completed, perhaps photographed later today. Many scrunchies sorted, and many more to stitch. (Which led to three different fabrics being used up from my stash, yay!) A bowlful of hair adornments! The Lavender Quilt (EPP) is also starting to coalesce, in a manner that will move my butt from the couch to a better place for design, although not the wall because paper pieces don't stick to batting. Lavender quilt being arranged last night. More room definitely required! A Myrtle EPP block is nearly done; somehow that quilt, started at least three years ago, might end up as a near-finish by the end of the year. (Hopefully I haven't jinxed it by such a claim.) New hand-quilting needles arrived this week so I delved into the Cornflower Quilt, hurray! All the inner squares are stitched, but several outer blocks and the perimeter triangles remain, yet I love the new needles and hopefully those will inspire me to finish the hand-quilting and COMPLETE THAT QUILT! Cornflower...

  Lavender in its tote; letting it breathe a bit is a good thing. The last two nights I've stitched on my Lavender quilt. Like actually sewing together blocks, whoa! I don't know the exact impetus, but I pulled out the tote, rummaged through it, then went to work. A pretty nice way to become reacquainted with this project that I started three or four years ago; I do have a recipient in mind, but it won't be gifted for a few years, which lends itself to a lengthy life in a tote. Not a great way for a quilt to linger, but.... What I like about this quilt is the ease of making the blocks, although basting four-inch triangles requires a little bit of glue stick in addition to the thread basting. Yet once that part is done, and I *think* I have enough triangles prepped, then half-hexagons are added, no bending of papers. And in stitching those blocks to additional triangles, four and two-inch sized, still no bending of papers! Well, a little will be incurred when I sew rows toge...

  The spoils of yesterday's efforts; the two lower stacks of diamonds aren't fussy cut, just some Karen Nyberg prints I love. Being it was Mother's Day in America yesterday, I spent much of Sunday afternoon in the office, cutting fabric. Fussy-cutting fabric if I'm being precise, and with fussy cutting, precise is paramount. Not sure why I felt so enabled, perhaps in talking to my aunt, who called to wish me a lovely day. Aunt Jay was a couple of years younger than my mum, but now she's older than Mum ever reached, a wonderful link to a past for which I'm grateful, especially at a time when wishing Mum a beautiful day no longer occurs. Yet life continues, and there I was, cutting fabrics for another Myrtle block, when the impetus struck to pull out other shapes and templates. Rummaging through my stash, I recovered a gorgeous stack of Tilda prints, then set about searching for just the right element to capture within the acrylic template, thankful that those I r...

The last few days I've spent the early morning reading/revising the fictional WIP, Book 3 of The Enran Chronicles . Just yesterday I perched my phone upon a small Barbie doll-sized chair I got at IKEA, and wow, that was super-handy to not have to hold my phone while reading an epub. Instead I gripped my cup of coffee or sat with my hands clasped together, but more rightly I was grasping a warm beverage. Yes, I still have to manually move along the novel, tapping the right side of my phone to turn the virtual pages, but one little mass-produced item has muscled its small metal way into how I edit books. The twenty-first century is FULL of surprises! I'm eager to note that I'm wholly engaged with this section of the.... This book could stand alone, although it is tightly tethered to the previous installment and of course is mostly necessary for what comes next, although I have tried to write each book in a way that a reader could merely pick up one, read it, and not actually ...

Reminding myself what I do, and how appreciative I am for the ability and time to do it; an excerpt from The Enran Chronicles Book 3 , my current revision WIP. Inside Squee’s ship, Sooz explained the Enran had permitted a small number of pods to encase what could called only a life force and not an Enran’s distinctiveness; it was those pods that people like Squee used to extend their lives. “Although,” Sooz smirked, “I think the last time Squee was revitalized it was with an Enran wholly compatible with Squee’s nature.” Noth carefully drummed his fingers along the console, not wishing to accidentally activate the vessel. “So the Enran aren’t bothered with that, but they won’t protect the most vulnerable people.” “It’s complicated, but we’ve lived with the Enran for so long that….” “Are you like Squee?” “No,” Sooz growled. “I am not like Squee.” “When did Amora die?” Noth spoke softly, not having planned to mention Sooz’s daughter. Yet he couldn’t help wonder if there had b...

This Mandolin block was waiting for me last night; I added four perimeter diamonds and it was finished! Subsequent pics are all EPP made during our holiday. Despite a head cold that emerged late Monday/early Tuesday, our holiday was marvelous! I add this disclaimer because right now I feel pretty crappy, so if this post rambles, it's due to my current state of health. Ice Cream Soda block My goodness, there is a lot I want to say, perhaps the best way to get back into the blogging swing is to eke out bits here and there. The Gee's Bend Quilts Collection was AMAZING! Thirteen quilts were on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art , beautiful comforters I never thought I might see in person. All were hand-quilted, most were completely hand-stitched. Designs, colors, and purpose made me grateful for my minor contributions to the quilting world, as well as causing me to wonder at future projects and ponder my fabric stash. Much food for thought at that deeply touching exhibit, wh...

From inside the Conservatory at Longwood Gardens. Where does the time go? On holiday, it seems to slip away as no more than drifting into another galaxy, which is kind of what it’s like going from the West Coast to the East Coast. We’re staying with friends in Delaware, also popping into New Jersey to visit my husband’s college buddy and his family. Today will be full of hanging out, with my phone not far away. Yesterday we went to Longwood Gardens , and it wasn’t until we were almost there that I realized my phone had not made the voyage. Of all the days to forget one’s phone, or rather my camera, this wasn’t one I would have chosen. When we arrived, my husband ascertained that yes, my device was back at the house, which was a comfort, yet how many pictures awaited on Pierre and Alice du Ponts' marvelous acreage? A lot, I knew, and my hubby happily acquiesced when I requested his mobile. I snapped a heap of flowers in the conservatory, but gave the phone back to him after we e...