In A Bookish, Quilty Mood

Recent Cornflower block finish; at least something's being completed. My latest novel is up to 50K. Technically that's a strong halfway point, but I need to confess for the plot I previously imagined I should be farther ahead in the story than where I am. That rarely happens, and I'm realizing this tale is doing its own thing regardless of my initial considerations. Well okay then novel; you be you and I'll take a couple of days off while family visits! Ahem.... I think, within this series, despite it being a collection of kinda-standaloneish-books, I need to allow that it's more like The Hawk . Meaning it's one LONG book broken into these bite-sized hunks, and maybe this one might be the largest. I won't speculate HOW big Book 4 will become, as I don't want to paint myself into an inescapable corner or limit the story, which is nicely meandering as two characters fall in love. Yet the timeline I'd assumed has stretched itself, or shrunk itself depe...

A slimmed down version of Jodi Godfrey's Alexandria Quilt design; we'll see what I end up with hehehe. I usually don't write end-of-month posts, but due to my NANOWRIMO participation, albeit limited, I felt it necessary to jot down a few sentences. And give a little outline of what lies ahead for the rest of 2022. Let's start with National Novel Writing Month; I started a draft that might end up in my books not currently under construction folder. Or maybe A Rose Blissful is merely waiting for a less crowded time of the year to flourish. We'll see what 2023 has in store for that plot, but I did learn that November is no longer the best time of year for me to write, birthdays and holidays making for a busy month. But I managed A LOT of revisions, lol, and am mostly on track to release the last book in my current series. And I made some good headway on what I am hoping to write next, in the context of editing the prequel to a manageable size. Manage figures heavil...

Miss Buttercup from 2017; she is definitely the basis for North the dog. Oh my my, I am up to my neck in novels! And while that's a marvelous sensation, it's also a little.... Too wonderful? Maybe. Perhaps it's like being inundated with chocolate; all things, even the great ones, in moderation. But when the muse is whirling, it's hard to put on the brakes. Yet, I am trying to maintain a semblance of patience. We loaded wood into the garage this afternoon, my hubby and I, cool weather upon us. Dishes required my attention, ahem, not sure what awaits this evening; there is always hand-sewing or some crocheting. I've enjoyed myself by making some cowls, although most of them are just a wee bit large, but will do the job, keeping my neck cozy. Crocheting is truly an indulgent pastime; no needles to thread, just pulling from a skein of yarn, proffering my simple double-crochet stitch enough thread to keep my hook busy. One of my grandmothers knitted, the other crocheted,...

A Mandolin quilt, perhaps one of my fave EPP patterns! NANO 2022 is underway; I've amassed over 3,300 words, a little above the recommended daily 1,500 words to hit that awesome 50K goal. Which isn't truly novel-length, but certainly a good amount for any writer to strive toward. The writing itself is...nothing to be ashamed of. It's..fine, and for now fine is fine with me. What has surprised me was the run-up; I had forgotten how magical the last couple of weeks in October are, waiting for November first to arrive! Autumn in full swing, although sunny and dry, conjured memories of past years when I was itching to create something new, be it in characters, a realm, or merely the sense of a season that lived in the San Francisco Bay Area was so anticipated, summer this long slog of endless sun and heat, bleh. A Humboldt summer is very different, lol, yet I was thrilled for the notion of change. I've decided to approach this novel as perhaps a stream of consciousness sort...

What I'm planning to write tomorrow, fingers crossed for a wordy NANOWRIMO start! Several years ago I made a decision that for a good while caused me a lot of consternation, a choice that I said I would never make again. Well, I'm strongly considering going back on that pledge. I'm thinking about publishing the first of a series without having subsequent novels written. Quick backstory: in writing The Hawk , I released the first 40K fully aware that I wasn't done, nor would I be able to gauge when I would be done. I did that because I rightly, if not painfully, assumed it would perhaps be the only impetus to keep me writing until the story was DONE. But OMG what pressure, tension, commitment! How many times did I say to myself, "You will NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!" Um, many. Yet here I am, giving serious thought to doing it again. Why, you might ask. Good question! Well see, there's this intriguing novel I've dug up from 2013 and.... Really, that...

Displayed on the old laundry line makes for a visual quilty treat! So I have finished what might be the last Honeycomb Stars Quilt I ever make. Never say never (and more about that very soon!), but boy getting through the end of this was.... Not quite a slog, certainly contemplative, and ultimately not that enjoyable. Not due to any fault of the pattern's creator; Rachel Hauser's delightful and informative write-up was clear, concise and if one is inclined to quilting beyond a beginner's level very do-able. Yet I am not the most precise cutter, nor am I super-fussy about scant quarter-inch and full quarter-inch seams. In matching the dog ears when attaching rows together, often I encountered the smallest but meaningful excess fabric and after the first three or four rows I grew tired of adjusting the ears just so. As I completed the final rows yesterday afternoon, I had to admit that while this pattern produces a beautiful result, I am not the quilter best suited to using i...

Small blocks turning into short rows! November is quickly approaching, but I'm not rushing to get a novel prepped; we've had some beautifully sunny afternoons and I take my notebook outside, sit in the sun, then write what comes from my head and heart about various characters. I'll probably need to organize a timeline of past events; at times I am a bit OCD about that kind of plotting, but the main cast is about done, just need to ramble about the supporting characters, of which there are several, ahem. However I'm not scrambling (yet), preferring to soak up the warmth that disappeared yesterday and doesn't seem likely today either. Instead I'll work on a Honeycomb Star quilt that is coming together more quickly than I thought it would. But this project has been in the works since August, when I first cut the hexagons, so it too is not in a hurry. I did accomplish more with it yesterday than I had planned, which is sometimes the case when I dither; inevitably mo...

Today's beautiful view.   The last two mornings have been full of bright, clear skies, a wonderful change to our recent grey horizons. Shocking to see how far south the sunrise has moved along the treeline; mid October is here in force, but I appreciate the seasons. And with NANOWRIMO just a couple of weeks away my writing mojo is emerging, or I think it is. Character sketches are coming together in a rambly sort of manner, although a timeline of familial events will probably be necessary. But it feels good to spin those kinds of details, dramatic elements as necessary as the blue sky greeting me today. Years ago autumn used to mean big-time writing prep, as well as anticipating precipitation. Rain might indeed arrive this weekend, but I'm waiting a fortnight before diving into a new story. It's celebratory in nature, both the rain and the words, continued growth for me as a novelist as well as heralding what is so badly needed here in California. I recall plenty of soggy ...