Improv Quilt Finish

Last Tuesday morning I had the honor of sharing my What is Modern Quilting? program with 80-90 members of the Lake County Quilters' Guild that meets in Tavares, Florida. 

While I always enjoy sharing my love of quilting with others, it was their enthusiastic response to my program that truly made my day. Many women came up front afterward to look at my trunk show quilts; ask questions; let me know that they were interested in modern quiltmaking; and simply to say nice things. It was a very happy day. 

In my sewing room last week, I spent most of my time prepping four quilts to enter into QuiltCon. Entries opened September 1, and will remain open until October 31. But I'm anxious to get quilts photographed, named, written about and submitted.

So, I set up and rearranged my studio for picture-taking, using my Canon point-and-shoot camera to take photos, rather than my cell phone. I think colors are more true with the camera. 

Here are a few of the final pictures of Alternate Route, the 57" X 67" two-color quilt I started in April when I took a virtual, two-session improv workshop with Irene Roderick @hixsonir. 

Before quilting, I randomly added hand-appliqué circles where I thought they were appropriate. 

In addition to domestic machine quilting with a walking foot, and ruler work, I added big stitch hand quilting with lavender-colored Cosmos embroidery floss, and patriot blue-colored size 8 DMC perle cotton. 

For the backing, I pieced a design from Kelly Young's myquiltinfatuation book, Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs. I'm happy to say I used-up all the leftover parts, including a few un-used circles! The quilt has a faced finish. 

At the moment, the only thing keeping me from entering quilts online is naming two of them. Since watching the MQG video about entering QuiltCon quilts into their proper categories, and also learning that jurors and judges rarely, if ever, read written descriptions, I decided it's more important than ever to thoughtfully give a quilt the "right" name. I have yet to name my maximal quilt, and another quilt made two years ago with 98 hand-appliquéd circles. 

Funnily, I'm noting that three of my four entries have hand appliquéd circles. 

Alternate Route

Maximal category, No Name.

Modern Traditionalism, Jacob's Ladder block, No Name

Book Recommendations

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell was captivating.

Josie and Alix, who don't know one another, have a chance encounter at a pub, where they both happen to be celebrating their 45th birthdays. They're birthday twins. When Josie learns they were born in the same hospital, she takes more interest in Alix who is a famous podcaster. 

Intentionally drawing closer to Alix, Josie begins revealing parts of herself, and her odd family situation, including the fact that her husband is 27 years older than she is. He married her when she was a teenager. 

As Alix records Josie's story, she begins to wonder how much of it is true. And when Josie runs to Alix's home to get away from her supposedly abusive husband, both Alix and Alix's husband want her out. 

The audiobook presentation of this story was what made such an entertaining listen. Numerous narrators speak in character, and even the podcast recordings sound like listening to a podcast. For me, the best part was recognizing one of the voices - her pronunciations and inflections. I had to stop and Google one of my favorite PBS shows Unforgotten to identify the voice. It belongs to actress Nicola Walker, who played DCI Cassie Stuart in Unforgotten, and Annika, in Annika. She does a fantastic job as narrator!

Linda's score: 4.2/5.0

Rick Mofina is an author one of my friends really likes (👋 Karen 😀). The first Mofina book I read felt "dark," but this one - Her Last Goodby - was less so. 

Jennifer attends a monthly book club and typically returns home to her husband Greg, and their son Jake, by 10:30 pm. Greg awakens in the wee hours of the morning, and Jenn isn't there. Eight year-old Jake is at an overnight with his pal, so after not getting responses to calls and texts to her, Greg spends hours driving along the route Jenn would have taken to return home. Later he calls 911 to report his wife is missing. 

Detectives are called in, and as circumstantial evidence begins to mount, it appears that Greg is the perpetrator (of course). Yet, other suspicions and suspects begin to arise. Jenn's past - 30 years ago, at age eight, Jenn was the only survivor in a house fire that claimed her parents - seems relevant. And what's the significance of the angel chimes candle? 

While listening, I was sure I knew who the perpetrator was. Not surprisingly, an unexpected twist at the end proved me wrong. 

Linda's score: 4.1/5.0

Linda