In A Bookish, Quilty Mood

  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