I became interested in it when I saw it on Lynette Anderson's blog when she was teaching a class in Jo Colwill's shop.
I've been looking for some ideas to make some new cushions for our house and with the name 'pillows and quilts' I thought I couldn't go wrong. There are a mixture of pillows and quilt projects in the book and they are all really nice. The author does some lovely applique projects and I especially like the Wobbly Dog quilt.
As for cushions - there are some good ideas for different shapes (instead of the standard square cushion that I use) and some different finishes using buttons.
It's another great addition to my craft library which has now expanded to two full shelves in my studio.
Home for Christmas....
With Christmas fast approaching, I've been going through some of my Christmas patterns and updating them.
This one - Home for Christmas - was only in printed format but is now also available in pdf format as well.
I had a lovely quiet weekend with some stitching, knitting, and reading.
I haven't really done any knitting (apart from the teddy bear for Operation Christmas Child) since my holiday and although it's quite hot here now, the evenings are still mild enough to knit.
I started this cardigan - Macro Lace by Laura Chau - in June this year and I was making good progress until we went away. Before we left, I packed it up in its knitting bag and there it has been sitting for the last couple of months.
I couldn't quite remember where I was up to, but after a quick inspeciton, I was surprised to see that I was up to the bands. Confused? The bands are added after the body is complete. (Go and check out the photo on Ravelry so you can get a better idea.) I love the plum colour of the Cascade 220 yarn and can't wait to see it finished which is now looking like a real possibility since I've finished the sleeve bands and am now on the bottom band.
Cross and Burn...
I was excited to see that Val McDermid has written another Tony Hill novel. Excited because the last one ended with Tony and Carol's relationship in tatters and it seemed like the end of the line. I wasn't sure if Val McDermid was going to write another in the series and I heard an interview with her where at the time she said she wasn't sure herself.
At the start of Cross and Burn Tony and Carol have not had any contact with each since the murder of her brother Michael; the MIT has been disbanded; and Paula is now working for DI Alex Fielding (her character is nothing like the one on the Wire in the Blood series). There's a series of murders which involves them all in different ways. Tony in the meantime is at a loss without Carol and the book ends with the promise of reconciliation.
I've always loved this series but I was a bit disappointed with this one. It lacks the intensity of the previous novels which the interaction between Tony and Carol brings. Paula figures prominently l and I felt that her character lacked the depth required to bring the story to life. I'm hoping that this book was only a 'bridge' to unite the team again and there will be more Tony and Carol mysteries in the future.
I'm pleased to say that my Makeshift Garden quilt is now finished.
The finished size is 41" x 41". I'm glad I 'found' enough fabric to add borders because I think they really frame the smaller pieces well. The same applies to the binding; I'm glad I only used the darker pieces of fabric.
But, I'm especially pleased to see this lovely Anni Downs fabric in a quilt instead of in my basket. That was my real motivation.
It's inspired me to make something with a pile of Noteworthy fabric by Sweetwater as well as a pile of School Days fabric by American Jane. At the moment, both of these fabrics are living in the same basket that Anni Downs' Love to Garden resided in.
Last time I mentioned that I've been thinking about floor mats and I've decided that the Noteworthy Fabric will be perfect. Will see how that transpires.
W for Wasted....
Really enjoyed this latest instalment ( W is for Wasted) of the Kinsey Millhone series by Sue Grafton. I can't tell you too much about the story without spoiling it so will have to just say there are a couple of different stories happening at once which come together in a suprising way. I'm pleased that the stories in this series haven't lost their interest as we march quickly towards the end of the alphabet.
In this novel there is an appearance of characters from Kinsey's past and it was like catching up with old friends and seeing what they've been up to. I keep wondering how much longer Henry and his siblings can last but at the same time dreading the day when they go. The same goes for Kinsey herself; I'm not sure what Sue Grafton has in mind for Z is for....? but I hope it's not 'bad'.
My craft library is becoming quite extensive and I love adding new books. But it seems to come in waves; I can either find lots of books I like all at once or can go months without finding any at all. Lately it seems that it's a case of 'lots'!
My latest purchase is Zakka Handmades by Amy Morinaka. This is another book I saw before we went away and then waited until we returned to buy it. I first saw it as a sew-along on different blogs and loved the little projects. I say 'little' because I think they are all really achievable and don't require a lot of time or fabric.
Someone reminded me yesterday that Christmas is approaching (this thought was reinforced at the supermarket where they were putting out some Christmas 'things'). I always say that I will make little gifts for people but usually only manage one or two. This year I'm hoping to do better and this book has lots of good ideas for gifts. For example the key cover and the mug rug complete with 'stamps'. Lots of good ideas.
There are some lovely red prints here and I also like the vibrant yellows.
Will definitely have to make something with all of these fabric club bits.
In the meantime I'm still quilting the Makeshift Garden quilt. I'm having one of those weeks when I don't seem to have time to sit and sew and it doesn't look like the next couple of days will be any better. It's very frustrating.
He starts with Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it". The phrase "This is the day" includes every day - not just 'good' days but 'bad' days as well. He encourages us to give each day a chance because you no longer have yesterday and you do not yet have tomorrow. So you need to live for today. He suggests three things to help - saturate your day in God's grace; entrust your day to his oversight; and accept his direction. In other words fill your day with God. Choose to make it great.
I found the book very encouraging and challenging at the same time. I realise that some days I forget that God is on my side and instead of trusting him, I focus on the trouble swirling around me. One of the best things about Max Lucado's books are the clear real-life illustrations he gives. In this book he tells the story of an American soldier who spent seven and a half years in a POW camp in Hanoi. It was a dark dismal place full of despair. Every morning he got down on the floor and removed the grate off a floor vent and peered out through a small hole in the bricks at a single blade of grass. It was that bit of colour in an otherwise bleak world that gave him the hope to survive.
In the same way, when we are facing difficult days we have a choice to set our eyes upon the greyness or search for a blade of grass of a different colour. But, it's not just a case of positive thinking. It's about seeing things as God wants us to see them. We can then see his hand in the midst of our circumstances.
Finally....
I've been waiting patiently (maybe not so) for this book to arrive for a couple of months.
It's the latest Kinsey Millhone mystery by Sue Grafton - W is for Wasted.
Last night it magically appeared in my Kindle. Don't you love technology?
Robin collects old Biggles books (by W E Johns) which were first published in the 1930's. Some are quite rare. One of his to-do things when we went to UK was to look for (and buy) more books. We found lots of secondhand bookshops on our travels but one of the best places we visited was Hay-on-Wye. It's on the border between Wales and England, and although it's only small, it has approx. 30 book shops.
(It also has this old castle in the middle of town.)
Robin was in book heaven! He managed to find a few Biggles books there but it just increased his appetite for more. As for me, I really enjoyed walking around the little town with its narrow streets and interesting shops.
On the hunt for more books, we also visited Wigtown which is Scotland's National Book Town. It's not as big as Hay-on-Wye but still some more Biggles books were found.
While wandering around the town, I found my own books. What Katy Did and What Katy Did at School. I couldn't resist buying them because I have such fond memories of reading them when I was a child. But my best find was the red book - it's an embroidery manual published in 1948. It has instructions on how to do all sorts of embroidery stitches as well as project designs. There are clear diagrams and I'm planning to try some of the designs suggested. But, I'm not going to do any embroidery on our bed linen (apparently that was what people did in 1948).
Martyrs...
In one of the bookshops I visited, I found a brochure which gave some information about Wigtown's history. I discovered that it is so much more than a 'book' town and was the scene of five executions in 1685 known as the Wigtown Martyrs. The 3 men and 2 women refused to call the king the head of the church and refused to become Episcopalians. They believed that Jesus Christ is head of the church and they were called Covenanters.
The men were hanged but the women had a worse fate. They were tied to a stake in the mouth of the Blednoch River and as the tide came in, the waters rose and they drowned. A monument has been erected at the place where the drownings occurred.
This story had such an impact on me. Not only because I thought it was an absolutely horrible way to die but because it challenged me to think about my own faith and what I would be willing to do for it.
I also discovered the town's motto: 'Let Wigtown flourish by the preaching of thy word, through Christ Jesus who is our only head.'
We are almost ready to go and so this will be my last post until 26 August.
But I have a couple of things to show you before I go:
Fabric Club...
Yesterday I received another fabric club instalment from Threadbear.
As usual, they are really lovely. I picked out my favourites - they are the five pieces at the bottom.
I love the green and yellow spot fabric. Can really see myself using that one as well as the yellow behind it.
I've been looking for some nice browns lately so chose the brown print behind the yellow and the brown with stars on the bottom.
And the reddish one? I'm always a sucker for red prints so this was a given.
Bury Your Dead....
If you remember I recently read The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny and felt a bit disappointed with the ending. There seemed to be something missing. Well it's now all been revealed in the novel Bury Your Dead.
The novel has three different sub-plots and it centres on Inspector Gamache who is struggling with a recent incident (don't want to give too much away). He is filled with doubts about the case 'solved' in The Brutal Telling and sends Jean Guy to investigate. Jean Guy is also struggling with the recent incident and his visit to Three Pines proves to be surprisingly comforting to him. As well as that investigation there is another one which Gamache is involved in at the same time. Everything comes together in the end and Gamache finds some closure and is ready to move on.
I'm so glad I read this book. Not only did it tie up the loose ends from the previous novel but it was a really good read. In fact I found it almost impossible to put it down. The character of Inspector Gamache was given so much more depth than in the last novel and at times I found myself weeping with the struggles he was having. He was presented as a man with great compassion and insight. Can't wait to read more about him.
One of my blog readers (thanks Susan) recommended Heather Gudenhauf's books to me and I'm glad I took her advice. I started with These Things Hidden.
It's the story of Allison who has just been released from prison. We don't know what her crime was at the start but we know it's something 'nasty'. The people around her treat her harshly and this is compounded by the fact that she had (prior to her crime) been considered 'perfect'.
The story unfolds through the words of four different women (including Allison) who are all connected in some way. From the start it's obvious that it has something to do with 5 year old Joshua but we're not completely sure how until the end.
I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters were interesting and I liked the way different chapters were written from each character's point of view. It filled in the gaps and added more depth to the story. I also liked the way the story gradually unfolded and reached a climax with an unexpected twist.
Will add Heather Gudenkauf to my list of authors to read.
For a while I went through a stage of not reading. Not sure what happened but I just couldn't seem to find a book that interested me. I would start and then stop part way through. But, I'm pleased to say that things have got back to normal and I'm really enjoying reading again. I think the IPad has had a lot to do with that. Really find it so convenient and the light is good which means I can read anywhere.
This one is a murder/mystery and I chose it simply because it was a change from the other novels I had read recently.
There's a whole series of these novels featuring Chief Inspector Gamache and his detectives. They are set in Canada which in itself I found interesting. Some reviewers likened the series to PD James' Adam Dalgleish series (which I loved) and others to Midsomer Murders (not so keen) but I didn't find them similar at all. The murder in this story is set in a small village called Three Pines which was the setting for a previous crime so the characters would have been familiar to fans of the series but enough information was given about them to fill the gaps. In this story, a body is found in the village bistro and the detectives have to find out who it is, what happened to him, and who did it. I liked the way the story developed as each bit of information was added and I found myself engrossed in the investigation. But then it ended fairly abruptly which left me dissatisfied. Through the whole novel the reader is kept informed with each new discovery but then suddenly there is an arrest withough adequate explanation and Gamache explains it after the fact. I think I will have to read the next novel to find out more!
Despite this, I really enjoyed it and am glad that I have found another good detective series - although it's not as good as Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone!
When we went to Tropical Paradise last week, I took this book to read - The Railwayman's Wife by Ashley Hay (another Australian author)
This is a story about grief set in the south coast of NSW in a town called Thirroul (DH Lawrence fans will recognise the name) after the end of World War 11. Ani's husband is killed in a work accident and the story follows her starting a new life while working through her grief. There are a couple of other characters who come into her life and they too are struggling with their own loss resulting from the war but Ani's grief so consumes her that they are left on the edges of her life and she only allows them in momentarily. The war casts a shadow over the town even though it's been over for 5 years and Ani comments that during the war she though that on the day it ended life would go back to normal and she didn't understand that the consequences would go on forever. I found the journey of her grief to be well written - as she clings to the memory of her husband and is afraid that if she allows other people in that she will lose him forever. I was a bit disppointed with the ending because it seemed a bit abrupt but then I went back to re-read it and found that Ani was looking at the dawn of a new day and I realised that she was beginning to look to the future with hope.
The novel is well written with some beautiful language and one thing I really appreciated was the imagery the author used to describe the trains and the ocean. It was so effective that I could see the beautiful colours and hear the trains' whistles. I'm pleased that I've 'discovered' another Australian author.
IPad reading....
Do you like to read printed books or digital books? A couple of months ago I would have said I preferred real printed paper books but now I'm a convert and prefer to read books on my IPad. It took me a while to appreciate the technology but now I can't imagine going back to printed books. I love the convenience and am looking forward to having less clutter. I bought Robin (an avid reader) an IPad for his birthday and the boys said that he would never read books on the it. But, surprise, surpise he took to it like a duck to water. Go figure.
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In 2012 we did the quilt called I am... based on the I am statements Jesus made in the book of John. If you would like more information please email me.