Like Totally Quilt

Like Totally Quilt

I expedited this quilt finish by doing two things I don't normally do. 

First, I free motion quilted an all over design. I checked out Esther Frenzel's wonderful website to choose a quilt design, read through her tutorial (practiced drawing it on paper), and watched her YouTube video. This is Esther's sample.

"Labyrinth" by Esther Frenzel at ipatchandquilt Wordpress site

On my Bernina 770QE, I quilted the Labyrinth design on this 57" X 57" quilt. It whipped up in about eight hours.

quilt front

 

The top thread is YLI aquamarine polished poly (this thread was one of several awards I received for 2012 ribbons won in the Machine Quilter's Showcase) and Aurifil aqua 50-weight cotton is the bobbin thread.

quilt back

If you're looking for free motion quilting designs to quilt on your domestic machine, I highly recommend Esther's ipatchandquilt blog. It's a treasure trove of great ideas!

The second thing I did - and this is something I never do! - is machine sew down the binding after attaching it to the quilt. I reasoned that since I plan to donate the quilt to Children's Home Society of Florida, machine-sewn binding would be more kid-durable than hand sewing.

I'm delighted to have another 2024 finish!

Book Recommendations

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez is about Briana, an emergency room doctor who meets a new emergency room doctor, Jacob. On his first day on the job seven patients die. Briana passes judgement on him, and determines to focus on the deteriorating health of her brother. 

Jacob soon realizes he's in no one's good graces, yet being an introvert, he can't speak up for himself... except through a letter. He writes to Briana, explaining himself and apologizing. Soon she's responding and anticipating another letter from him. In spite of her impending divorce, Briana's days begin to look up, especially when she learns about an anonymous kidney donor for her brother. Happily continuing her friendship with Jacob, she understands him better than most people. He asks her for a special favor that pushes their relationship to a new level - one that each of them doesn't really have to pretend about. 

The story is okay. Maybe I'd have scored it higher if I hadn't already read a couple other Jimenez books, one with a similar theme of "let's pretend to be in love to get my family off my back." 

Linda's score: 4.0/5.0

If Only I Had Told Her by Laura Nowlin is the second book in the If Only He Had Been With Me series, but I never guessed it was serial book.

The whole story is about Finn's intense attraction and love for Autumn, the girl next door he grew up with. They've just graduated from high school and since Autumn's break-up from her boyfriend, she and Finn are spending lots of time together. 

They been at cross-purposes, not recognizing their love for one another until it's too late. Autumn and Jack, Fenn's best friend, face a different future. As they navigate their life paths, they must come to terms with their new realities. 

This was an unusual story format, told from the perspective of three different characters. Each introspectively revealed and search for the why's of their thoughts, feelings, and emotions.  

Linda's score: 3.9/5.0

Linda

Making Freely

With Christmas sewing done, I've turned my attention to catching up on a few WIPs (works in progress). 

At the top of the list is finishing the Like Totally quilt, a free BOM (block-of-the-month) offered in 2024 by Louise Wackerman and the Seattle MQG. 

Like Totally quilt top

Initially, I had thought to make this a quick finish with a wideback, intentionally purchased for this quilt top. However, after seeing several Instagram posts of pieced backings made with extra blocks that were part of the BOM, I decided to do the same. 

Besides using all the extra blocks, I pieced a couple more blocks from the same solid colors, and then dug into my canvas bin, full of orphan and test blocks, for filler pieces. I chose ones that seemed to coordinate best with colors in the top. 

Like Totally back

It was more than satisfying to piece this 58" X 58" backing for the 57" X 57" quilt front. Yep, I know the back is close in size to the top, but since I'll be pin-basting it myself, I can make it work. 

At our Central Florida MQG retreat last spring, my friend Rosemary was knitting dishcloths in between quilting projects and I admired the color of Sugar 'n Cream yarn she was using. I learned it was from Wal-Mart (less expensive than JoAnn's). Shortly after, I bought a cone for myself and wrote "May 2024" inside the cone. I then proceeded to knit dishcloths when on the phone, and attending Zoom activities. Every time I finished a dishcloth I made a hash mark inside the cone.

Today I completed dish cloth number 13 from that cone. I feel like knitting these is a good value for the money.

"What marker can I to use to fit into the narrow and deep slots of my half-hexagon template?"

was the question I posed in my last blog post. Thank you to the three commenters who offered suggestions. 

"Anonymous" suggested a Micron Pigma pen. Since I already had this micro-tip Micron Pigma pen, it was easy to try. It works! My hesitation to use it is related to the fact that marks are permanent. Since hand-piecing a couple blocks, seams looks fine when I'm careful to ensure the mark is inside the seam allowance. Thanks Anonymous!

Saturday morning was our Central Florida MQG annual holiday party with a gift swap-and-steal. It's always great fun to see what each quilter's gift reveals, and what she chooses to do when her gift is stolen, or she can steal someone else's gift.

The gift I took to give was an eight-color fat quarter bundle of Painter's Palette solids.

The gift I brought home was this gray corduroy, zipper-top tote with our Central Florida MQG logo embroidered on the side pocket.

Thanks to the talent of one of our members, Peggy, our chapter has recently begun using this digitized design. I am delighted to have this tote, which came with two sewing-themed emery boards.

Thank you, Peggy!

Book Recommendation

Pretty Dead Things by Lilian West is about Cora who has recently moved from California to a small Midwest town. She's adjusting to life while planning her wedding to the local dentist. Somewhat at a loss as to what to do with her days, while meandering the countryside she comes upon an estate sale. Having always been attracted to colorful things, she buys a $5 container of baubles, expecting to find buttons, marbles, and such. She also discovers a small diamond ring and wedding band, both engraved, and determines to return them to the owner. 

The owner denies knowledge of them, sending Cora to the next nearest relative, and then the next nearest relative. As she continues to search for the rightful owner, she also investigates rumors and old secrets that no one wants her nosing around in. 

The author takes the reader back and forth from now to 1953 where the local dark beauty, Clarity Grey is subjected to unfounded speculation and rumors completely counter to who she really is.

Linda's score: 3.9/5.0 

Linda

Into December

My absence for the past 11 days was due mostly to being away... driving to and from Texas to visit our Austin family. As always, it was nice to see them in person, and spend time just catching up. I was able to read aloud to 10 year-old Luke the book  The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. It's a wonderful Christmas story for children ages 8 and up.

We took along a few of our unused Christmas decorations to help make their home festive.

Always, a must-stop was Salt Lick in Driftwood, my favorite place for Texas barbecue. Pulled pork and banana bread pudding for me. Surprisingly, it was quite chilly (and rainy) in Austin, so this open pit provided welcome warmth.

En route, we passed numerous Buc-ee's, the most amazing and largest gas stations in the world.

If you're in the US and haven't yet visited a Buc-ee's, it's a must-not-be-missed place! Of course, we came home with Buc-ee's Pecan Pralines, and Praline Pecans - yes, there IS a difference.

Knowing we'd be on the road for at least 33 hours - our travel time ended up being much longer, due to an Interstate 10 accident that had us "parked" for more than an hour - I needed a hand project. I looked through my few hand work WIPs and determined they were too large or cumbersome, or too tedious for working on in the car. My almost last-minute decision was to begin a new project!

Digging through a box of notions, I came across this template -a Half Hexagon to make "Inner City" units. 

I remember making this purchase in the late 1990s, while at an American Quilter's Society spring show in Paducah. I'm glad I hung onto it. 

From scrap bins of solids, I cut out half hexagons - three values of one color. Then I grabbed a ring of Superior thread bobbins won in a giveaway, a needle, and scissors, and I had a delightful hand piecing project for passenger time. When I got home, I was anxious to press the 23 blocks I'd pieced, to see how they looked together. I'm gonna love this!

It's the precision that makes this a satisfying hand piecing project. On the back, just look at that pretty Y-seam twirl!

I have a question... do you have a suggestion for the "perfect" marking tool to use with this template?

The template slots are very narrow and very deep, so it was difficult to make a number two pencil work. The lead kept breaking. (You can see the pencil lead rubbings along the slots.) 

The same thing happened with a mechanical pencil. I had to extend the lead so far - for the depth of the slot - that the skinny lead tip repeatedly broke. I need something with a long, skinny end. Ideas? 

Book Recommendations

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez is about Josh, a ruggedly handsome firefighter who's just relocated to town because his Marine Corps buddy, Brandon, is getting married; Josh is his best man. Brandon is marrying Sloane who's best friend is Kristen; Kristen is maid of honor. 

Josh and Kristen meet, and their attraction is undeniable. But Kristen won't allow herself to fall for Josh. Kristen, who runs an online pet supply business, needs someone to build custom dog stairs, so Josh begins working for her, out of her garage. She does everything to resist him, including wearing hair curlers. Her longterm boyfriend will soon be returning home from military duty, so she and Josh must remain friends. But when things change with Kristen's boyfriend, she lets herself go. Friends with benefits is their reality. 

When Josh recognizes the depth of his feelings, Kristen withdraws, refusing to let him get close, nor explain why she's resisting. (I thought this part was repetitively frustrating.)

 

I really wanted to like this book because: 1) several friends liked it; and 2) the plot isn't too bad. But I just couldn't handle the language and casual sex. I guess that's what younger authors and younger readers (than me) are looking for in books. This is book #1 in The Friend Zone series that I will not continue to read.

Linda's score: 3.8/5.0

More than two decades ago, Prom Mom (by Laura Lippman) was Amber Glass, a Baltimore high-schooler who gave birth on prom night, and was convicted of killing her baby, though she had no recollection of it. She's now a successful New Orleans art dealer. The prom night "Cad Dad" was Joe Simpson who is now a successful commercial real estate married to a beautiful and skilled plastic surgeon, Meredith.

Amber returns to Baltimore to sell her step-father's tacky house. With her inheritance, she decides to open an art gallery. It's inevitable that she and Joe meet again. Even though they've been able to move past their prom, an attraction remains. Amber is sympathetic towards Joe, and determines to help him any way she can. When the pandemic plays havoc with Joe's investments, and he's dug himself into a corner, relationship-wise, will Amber be able to help in out, as she did with they were in high school?

Linda's score: 4.1/5.0

QuiltCon Quilt Submissions

As many of you already know, last Wednesday, December 4, QuiltCon sent congratulations/rejection emails for every quilt that had been submitted to QuiltCon 2025 - Phoenix. My three emails arrived while we were on the road to Texas.

I received two "congratulations!" for which I am extremely grateful.

Acceptances were Benched, my entry in the Transparency Challenge, and Pot Luck the group/bee quilt I put together using blocks made by 15 improv-making/hand-quilting friends, five of whom are local makers. 

My one "we're sorry" email was for Infrastructure, a quilt I started in a minimalism workshop at QuiltCon 2024, and finished in a NOT minimalism style. 

QuiltCon received 2,269 entries, and accepted 460 quilt for the show - a 20% acceptance rate. I let out a big "whew!" when I learned two got in. I'm looking forward to going to my eighth QuiltCon, and meeting-up with quilter-friends. I'm registered for one all day workshop with Libs Elliott of Canada. I plan to get together as many Pot Luck makers as possible. for a group picture. 

In other last week's new was the announcement of the Pantone Color of the Year (COTY), for 2025. Mocha Mousse. All I can say is "ICK!" Friends who know me aren't surprised by my "ick."

I've heard a couple people mention how much the color is like the coffee-colored pantyhose we used to wear. Anyone else besides me remember L'Eggs? 

You will not find me participating in any quilt challenges that use Moche Mousse. No ifs, ands, or buts.

I have felt this way about brown in quilts since I made Bars in 2017. I began Bars in a QuiltCon color workshop with Tara Faughnan who told us, "It's okay to have an 'ick' color." 

This is the back of Bars.

Thankfully, the Kaufman Kona COTY, Nocturn, is more tolerable. 

Linda

End of November

I can't believe how quickly we've arrived at the end of November! I guess it's because I was busy in "Santa's workshop" with my head down and sewing machine pedal to the metal.

Since secrecy prevents me from sharing recent makes, I'll just say that I'm happy with November's fabric use. Eight-plus yards out!

Only ⅔ yard fabric in, and I blame that on a friend! She gave me this print because she thought it was one I'd use. She's probably right. 

With a net output of almost 7½ yards this month, I'm happy and looking forward to December and tallying all of 2024. 

Two things I can share.

One is my finished selvedge rug. It measures 24" wide (using all 24 pegs of my peg loom) and 36" long. I ran out of selvedges (the unprinted side) before reaching the 60" length I'd hoped for. But in truth, it was becoming cumbersome to work with. This is a very heavy rug.

The variety of colors makes me happy. 

Each time I loaded pegs, I had to slide selvedges down the weft, composed of string and fabric twine. To do that, I had to first slide all the previously woven selvedges further down the weft, to make room for those coming off the pegs. My explanation is doubtlessly difficult to picture, but I spent as much time pushing selvedges (using a point turner) along the weft as I did weaving selvedges onto pegs.

  

I also finished my latest 5" X 7" yarn wrapped board. With only three colors - gray, white, and blue-green, it's less colorful than the previous board, but the sheen of DMC embroidery threads and perle cotton is very nice. 

Book Recommendations
Dead End is the last book - #3 - in Nancy Mehl's "Kaely Quinn Profiler" series, and I enjoyed every one of them. 

In Dead End, FBI Special Agent Kaely Quinn has just heard that with the discovery of multiple female bodies, there's another serial killer in Des Moines. This killer's modus operandi is suspiciously similar to that of Kaely's father, Ed Oliphant, who murdered 15 women more than a decade ago. The chief of police summons Kaely to Des Moines to ask her for help. They want her to go to the federal prison in Anamosa to talk with her serial killer father to find out how this serial killer knows things that only the police know.

Kaely and her partner and friend, Special Agent Noah Hunter reluctantly go to the prison to talk with him. Even though she doesn't want to confront him, she must overcome her emotions and be the behavioral physiologist who uncover the facts before more women are killed.  Linda's score: 4.4/5.0

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren is an improbable story about Anna Green who, desperate for a place to live as she attends UCLA, marries "Wes" Liam Weston so they can live in married student housing.

Their arrangement is purely practical until three years later when Liam's elaborate fabrication of a wife hits the wall. The couple must attend Liam's sister's elaborate, exclusive island wedding. 

Liam and Anna agree on terms for Anna to continue the guise as wife. After extensive body pampering and shopping, Anna accompanies Liam on the head on the trip her a lifetime. Immediately upon arrival, Liam's dysfunctional family is challenging for both of them. Anna learns more about his family's wealth, requirements for his enormous inheritance, and his father's expectations. She comes to understand Liam and the hurt his family has caused. She wants to help make it right in ways that go beyond the expectations of their contractual agreement. 

As much as I enjoyed the unlikely premise of this story, graphic details of intimate relations were frequently embarrassing. This is definitely X-rated. Linda's score: 3.9/5.0

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris was absolutely captivating! A real psychological thriller.

 

From the beginning, hosting a lovely, normal dinner with friends, Jack and Grace seem like the perfect couple, living in a perfect home. But as the author flashes back to "before," the reader learns that Jack isn't who he pretends to be. Seemingly a successful lawyer and charming man, it's difficult to accept that he's controlling and lives for the sight and sound of a woman being held against her will. 

When Grace realizes it's not her he wants, but Grace's sister, Millie with Down's Syndrome, Grace must figure out how to escape her imprisonment and save them both. But who will believe her when everyone sees only a devoted couple?

In the moment, this book made me feel anxious. Yet I couldn't stop listening - needing to know if Jack would get what he wanted - Millie - or if Grace could figure out how to get away. This 8 hour 41 minute book was nearly a non-stop listen! Linda's score: 4.5/5.0

Having read Tuesdays with Maury many years ago, I thought this four-hour book by Mitch Albom would be as impactful. 

The Time Keeper begins with Dor and Alli, children at the beginning of the world. When Alli is dying, Dor runs to the tallest structure in the world, thinking to save her. Thus begins his 6,000 year-long life in a cave where he never ages, yet grows long hair and a beard - becomes Father Time. As he does nothing but carve shapes on cave walls, he listens to thousands of voices coming from a pool in the cave.

One day, it's time for him to help two people: Sarah Lemon, an insecure teenaged girl; and Victor Delamonte, an elderly, wealthy man who's dying. 

Dor uses his magic hourglass to control time and learn about the new world he inhabits. He also comes to understand how he can help two people who can ultimately also help him. 

Linda's score: 4.0/5.0

Of the 12 audiobooks I listened to this month, I gave these nine titles a score of 4.0 and higher. 

1. 4.5 - Behind Closed Doors, B.A Paris, 
2. 4.5 - Just for the Summer, Abby Jiminez
3. 4.4 - The Wrong Daughter, Dandy Smith
4. 4.4 - Mind Games, Kaely Quinn Profiler #1, Nancy Mehl
5. 4.4 - Fire Storm, Kaely Quinn Profiler #2, Nancy Mehl
6. 4.4 - Dead End, Kaely Quinn Profiler #3, Nancy Mehl
7. 4.4 - What Divides Us, Kilteagen Bridge series #2, Jean Grainger
8. 4.2 - Paw Enforcement, #1, Diane Kelly
9. 4.0 - The Time Keeper, Mitch Albom

I hope I've added some good books to your reading list!

This morning it was only 50-some degrees and slightly windy when I went power-walking. The sky was a glorious shade of blue. I couldn't help but notice how the wind seems to play with jet plane contrails.

Besides seeing stripes, I saw an asterisk! *

Oh, the glory of creation! Linda

This... and the Other

This week... a couple of WIPs are done, and other WIPs made progress. 

This week's best finish is the 36" X 47" improv quilt started in Krista Hennebury's @poppyprint Speed Date With Improv virtual workshop on November 2.

The quilt is comprised of six different improv blocks made from 5" charm squares. After the workshop, I continued to make and add blocks to make it larger than the 20" X 20" intended size. The quilt doesn't have a name.

It's entirely spiral-quilted using three different thread colors... and funnily, I finished-off three spools of thread doing this quilting. 

The backing is pieced from a stashed diamond print, and Horizon, the Kona blue color that's also in the front.

I've also been doing a little garment-sewing, feeling the urge to make something "cute," while reducing stash.

I'll donate these two pillowcase-style dresses to Dress A Girl Around the World, an organization that delivers clothes to children in underdeveloped countries.

I just need to get these dresses to a contact person in either Jacksonville or Orlando, Florida.

If you'd like the tutorial for the dress, go to LBG Studio.

Continuing with WIPs

Here's the latest on my second Yarn Wrapped board. Threads are DMC perle cotton and embroidery floss.

 

My peg-loom selvedge rug is gradually getting longer. It's 24" long now. I'm aiming for 60" long.

I made November blocks for the Seattle MQG's free BOM, Like Totally, designed by Louise Wackerman @imfeelincrafty. These chevrons are the last blocks! 

My Like Totally quilt top is 57" X 57". I already have a wideback at the ready, for sandwiching. This means I have three quilt tops that need my quilting attention. Yikes.

Book Recommendations

After reading the third book (Above the Paw) in the Paw Enforcement Series by Diane Kelly, I decided to read the first book. Ha! The first book is titled Paw Enforcement, and was an enjoyable read. Of course, it laid the foundation for subsequent books. 

Megan Luz is a Fort Worth, Texas police officer who aspires to be a detective. After enduring a difficult male partner, she's presented with a female partner, a German Shepherd called Brigit. Though Brigit may shed, and slobber, and refuse to obey Megan, when it comes to police work, she's the best. And Brigit befriends Blast, a bomb-sniffing dog whose partner is a very good-looking fella on the bomb squad. While Megan and Brigit cover their routine beat through posh neighborhoods and a popular mall, Brigit's nose sniffs out trouble, and keeps them out of trouble.

Linda's score: 4.2/5.0

First Storm is book #2 in the Kaely Quinn Profiler Series by Nancy Mehl.  (Mind Games is book #1),

Kaely's mother, who lives in Dark Water, Nebraska, has cancer. Kaely's brother, Jason, wants Kaely to come before it's too late. She's reluctant to go, and when she does, her mother isn't nice. It becomes apparent that Dark Water has a serial arsonist. Homes have burned; people have died. Kaely offers her assistance, in a sincere desire to find the arsonist, but also to distract her from her relationship with her mother. Even as Kaely's involvement in the case becomes official, fires continue. When the arsonist makes his intentions personal, she's more determined than ever to find him.

Though the serial killers in this series are truly monsters, I appreciate the stories for their clean language, deep emotions, mentions of Kiely's faith, and occasional Bible verses.

Linda's score: 4.4/5.0

If you're on Instagram, you received an email saying that Meta is updating their Instagram terms.

Instagram is also eliminating the ability to follow hashtags. Add to these changes the platform's use of AI, incessant advertising, suggestions of other accounts to view, and the fact that quilters are posting less often, it's enough to send quilters like me to another app.

This week I joined BlueSky and am already finding my peeps. It's free, and there's no advertising!

I also like that the platform allows me to block single posts that contain personally offensive language. I just add those key words (swear words, political content) to my "I don't want to see that" list, and those posts don't even appear in my feed. Lovin' that feature!

Still, it has a bit of a learning curve. 

If you decide to join BlueSky, please look for me, and I'll do likewise.

On Friday, a friend and I had the pleasure of playing our ukuleles for 72 widows at a local church. The occasion was their annual Thanksgiving luncheon. (I got to enjoy all the good food too!) They seemed to enjoy singing along with us: This Little Light of Mine, This is the Day the Lord Has Made, and Sunshine, You Are My Sunshine. 

My thank you gift was a lovely card, and this "blessings bracelet." As I wear it, each day I'm meant to assign to every bead something I'm grateful for. With Thanksgiving coming soon, I will definitely do so!

It was a good week. Linda