Moore Patchwork & Quilting

Stitch at Home

The postie just delivered this lovely new book by Mandy Shaw.

I really loved her other book, Stitch with Love, so when I saw that she had a new book out, I knew that I would like that too.

This one has both stitchery and applique designs all based on a 'home' theme.  One of my favourite projects is an applique quilt called Village.  It has different homes including a treehouse, caravan (my favourite), doghouse, and a bunny hutch.  It's really nice 

Another cute project is a Cottage Sewing Case made from felt and fabric.  Really clever. There are also cushions, a dog bed, a bag and some bunting.  All very handy.

A nice addition to my library.

 

Until next time

Lyn

 

Movies and Books

Yesterday while my car was being serviced, I went to the movies to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.  Really loved it.  It features some of my favourite Britsh actors and Maggie Smith steals the show.  The town in India reminded me of Indonesia and I could appreciate all of the cultural differences they encountered. At the start I thought the story would be very predictable but to my delight there were surprises that changed what I thought would happen.  Really enjoyed it.

The Festival by the Sea...

When I went away last weekend I picked up this book The Festival by the Sea by June Loves, to take with me.  I broke my 'library only vow' when I saw this book was written by the same author of The Shelley Beach Writers Group which I really enjoyed. 

The book follows on where the other one ended.  With Gina still living in Shelley Beach with Dog and Adrian.  She's facing a decision about returning to city life and in the meantime is director of the local Writers Festival.  The book is written in a similar style as the first one but for me it lacked the same 'sparkle'. It was like reading a to-do list in preparation of the festival and there really wasn't any hiccups - just minor inconveniences which were settled quickly. The characters weren't developed any further than the last novel and this made it all a bit flat.

I was really disappointed and thought that it might have been better if this novel was written from the perspective of one of the other characters.  Perhaps Adrian who was away in the city or one of the visiting authors? That might have given the story a bit more depth.

Until next time

Lyn

The Help

I haven't had much luck in choosing novels to read lately.  The last couple I've started, I've made it half way through and lost interest.  So when it came to choosing a book to take away with me last weekend I was a bit lost.  A friend had given me The Help by Kathryn Stockett sometime ago but I had been reluctant to start it because I had seen the movie (twice) and loved it and books and movies don't always mix well for me.

But, because I didn't have anything else - I took it with me.  And, I'm so glad I did.  Once I started it I couldn't put it down.

The book (obviously) has a lot more space to explore the relationships of the main characters better and to give much greater insight into the time and place they lived in.  You come to realise how special and unusual the friendship  between Skeeter and Abileen was.  It also showed the special friendship that was developing between Celia and Minny.  Minny is definitely my favourite and I just pictured her as the actress in the movie.  I was a bit surprised at Skeeter's mother in the book - she certainly would not have described her daughter as 'courageous' as her mother did in the movie. Stuart was another interesting character that was given more depth in the book.  I liked the way that Skeeter could look at their relationship with honesty (when it was over) and realise that she didn't want to be like her friends.  She was able to move to New York with closure and anticipation for the future.

It's definitely the best novel I've read for a long time.

Until next time

Lyn

Death Comes to Pemberley

I read this book, Death Comes to Pemberley, by PD James in the holidays.

As the name suggests, it's set in the Jane Austen world of Pride and Prejudice.  Elizabeth and Darcy have been married for six years (they have 2 children) and are settled in the beautiful Pemberley Estate when their tranquility is interrupted by a murder on the Estate. 

Being a fan of PD James' Adam Dalgleish series, I expected a bit of a mystery but was a bit disappointed because although it starts off well, the mystery turns out to be not such a mystery at all.  The book concentrates instead on the day-to-day life of Pemberley with the murder a secondary event.  We are given no clues to try to figure it out but the whole mystery is revealed by one of the participants in a confession after the trial is over. 

The book is more about Elizabeth and Darcy and their relationships with the staff and in some ways themselves - but I thought they had become a bit boring - where were the verbal clashes?

Despite all this I did find myself caught up in the whole thing and fascinated by their everyday life. It was an undemanding holiday read

Until next time

Lyn

Mixed and Stitched

A couple of weeks ago I came across this book at Dymocks.

It's full of great hints and instructions for combining stitching with mixed media projects.

I've been struggling a bit with my mixed media art - I just couldn't seem to be able to do what I wanted to.  It was almost like I had a mental block and couldn't really articulate exactly what I was trying to achieve.  Most of the books I found were written by full on artists who were very confident with painting.  But, painting isn't really my 'thing' - I'm happy to paint backgrounds etc but other than that, I just don't feel confident.

Anyway, this book was like a light bulb moment for me.  All of the ideas and tips were so helpful and I feel like the mental block has finally lifted.  I'm beginning to feel a little clearer about the direction I want to take and have started a new art journal with stitching being the focal point instead of painting.

I'm very excited.

Last Minute Shopping...

I foolishly thought that most people would have finished their shopping by now and with extended shopping hours the malls might be easier to navigate.  Was I ever wrong!  Aaron and I spent some time together today and we dropped into the local mall to do some non-Christmas related errands like banking and we struggled to find a car parking space.  I guess everyone had the same idea as we did. It's all part of the fun.

Until next time

Lyn

V is for Vengeance

Imagine my delight  while visiting Mary Ryan's book shop last week to discover the latest Sue Grafton novel V is for Vengeance.

I've been an avid fan of the Kinsey Millhone series ever since I picked up the first one - A is for Alibi - at my local library years ago. I always wait in anticipation for the next instalment and each time it's like being reunited with an old friend.

In this one Kinsey is drawn into a mystery when she witnesses a shoplifter in action while out buying some new undies (of all things).  From there it's a whole series of seemingly unrelated events happening which in the end turn out to be all part of the same puzzle. The story is told in the same style as the other novels with Kinsey's written report providing much of the narrative.

The usual supporting characters were involved including Henry and of course Rosie (not sure I would want to eat at her restaurant).  They always add a bit of interest as well as humour to the story.

I really enjoyed it and now find myself being impatient for the next instalment - W is for.....? Have to wait and see.

Until next time

Lyn

There Should Be More Dancing

I've just finished reading this novel  by Rosalie Ham.

I read another one of her novels - The Dressmaker - earlier this year and enjoyed that so thought I would give this one a go.

The main character (Marjery) is an elderly woman who is struggling with her family and her own frailty.  She thinks her daughter is trying to kill her (she is) and her neighbours are keeping a secrect from her.  She reaches the point of thinking that she is totally unwanted and ending it all is her only choice.  Fortunately she is prevented from doing this and she is able to make peace with her past and live with a renewed hope.

Like the first book, the supporting characters are a little 'over the top' which provides lots of funny moments and just highlight why Marjery feels as she does. I really related to some of the stories (not because I'm old) but because of my dealings with my Mum and parents in law.  The author describes the plight of old age with insight. 

I enjoyed it and look forward to more novels by Rosalie Ham.

Until next time

Lyn

Bereft

This Thursday is my Knits and Novels book club meeting and the book we will be discussing is Bereft by Chris Womersley.

This is an Australian novel and as you can see on the cover won the 2011 Indie Award for Fiction and was also short-listed for the Miles Franklin award.

 It's the story of Quinn Walker who returns to his home town in 1919 after 'The Great War' when the Spanish Flu epidemic was sweeping across Australia and people were convinced that the world was about to end. Quinn had fled his town after being accused of a crime and everyone is out to kill him.  He hides in the hills and befriends an orphan girl, Sadie,  and they become unlikely companions. The crime of which he was accused had shaped his life and he was haunted by feelings of cowardice, convinced that if he was braver the outcome would have been different. He has come back to set things right.

The story is about redemption and hope and I think one of the saddest parts was near the end when Quinn tells Sadie that they are alone after all and that God is not with them. He had clung to his hope and faith through the awful war but in the end he lost both. 

Thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to hearing what the rest of the group thought.

Until next time

Lyn

State of Wonder

I've just finished reading my latest book club novel - State of Wonder by Ann Patchett.  I had never read a novel by Ann Patchett before, but she is a favourite author of a couple of the other members of the book club so I had fairly high expectations when I started reading the book.

It's the story of Marina a research scientist who travels to the Amazon jungle in search of details of the death of her colleague Anders Eckman.  He was sent to investigate the progress of research being conducted by another scientist Annick Swenson. It turns out that Marina has had a past encounter with Dr Swenson and the event had had a profound effect on Marina's life.  In fact, it had changed the course completely.

The book held my interest from the very start and the fact that I read it so quickly is an indication of this.  I love the way the story just unfolds and you discover more about the characters as it progresses. Marina changes as she is forced to face different challenges. At one point when confronting some armed natives, she realised that she didn't feel any fear which really amazed her. I wondered in the end if she would go back to the life she had before or choose a different direction. I was slightly disappointed when as she was returning home after her adventure, she felt herself turning back into the person she used to be. I hoped she would choose new horizons rather than settle for what she had before.

After finishing the book I came away thinking what a great story it was. It was not fast paced and full of drama but it was just really engaging.  The characters were interesting and I found some of the situations quite funny. I enjoyed it and I will be looking out for more of Ann Patchett's books.

Until next time

Lyn

 

The Tiger's Wife

This week is my Knits & Novels book club meeting at Riverbend Books and the book we will be discussing is The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht. The book won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2011 so I suppose it had a lot to live up to and I must say it didn't disappoint.

The author was born in the former Yugoslavia and that's where the book is set.  The main character Natalia is a doctor and while taking medical aid to orphanages after the Balkans war she gets word that her grandfather has died.  It appears that he may have been on some sort of 'quest' which puzzles Natalia and so she sets out to understand what her grandfather was 'seeking'.

The story moves effortlessly from the present to the past always with war and it's effect as a backdrop. Natalia is initially dismissive and puzzled by the superstitious customs of the people she encounters but in the end comes to understand that the customs brought a measure of certainty and comfort when faced with fear and hopelessness associated with war.

I enjoyed the book for the most part but there were a couple of sections which I think were a bit too detailed and didn't really add anything to the story.  One particular character - Luka- was a vicious wife beater and too much space was spent trying to make us sympathetic to him and the reasons for his anger.  Personally I couldn't wait for the tiger to eat him!

Throughout the book there are subtle observations about the war and its effects and I found these to be very thought provoking.  For me, that's what probably makes this book so good.

Until next time

Lyn