Wading Through WIPs

With two quilt events coming up, my attentions have been somewhat distracted. I've made slight progress on projects, dilly-dallying on WIPs. I'm not in the right head space to think about starting something new.

With my Prudence quilt top finished at 58" X 58", it was time to piece a backing.

During last week's South Florida MQG's "Sip 'n Sew" Zoom get-together, Jessica suggested I make a backing using black and white stripes, cut and pieced like an hourglass block. Since I don't have enough black and white stripe to do that (yes, my stash is dwindling!), her idea triggered something different. 

I cut a 24" X 24" square - the largest cut I could get - from a Freespirit, Anna Maria Horner print called "Fluent, Passport." 

Then I searched for anything in my stash that coordinated with it. I turned up a 2007 orange tone-on-tone RJR print. I used nearly all of it. 

Lastly, I cut striped setting triangles from a diagonally-printed black and white stripe from Blank Quilting Corp., called "Paradox." The backing measures 60" X 60" so I don't have much wiggle room for quilting. 

For the first time, I used Hobbs Tuscany Cotton Wool Blend for the quilt sandwich. Christa Watson said in a lecture (last year) that it's her favorite batting because it's light weight, breathable (cotton), and doesn't hold a fold (wool). We'll see. 

So far, it's quilting great! Maybe credit is due to my wonderful Bernina 770QE. 😁

I set my Bernina to a 3.10 stitch length, and reduce the tension to 4.5 because I'm using 100-weight thread, ivory-colored Wonderfil Invisifil on top. In the bobbin is orange-colored Aurifil 50-weight thread. I've walking foot quilted diagonally across the quilt, through the striped fabric pieces. 

Once the quilt has been stabilized with walking foot quilting, I'll switch to ruler quilting. I want to quilt concentric circles in each small medallion block.

Also, I dug out blocks made for a Glitter quilt, designed by Jen Kingwell in her book Quilt Lovely. I haven't touched these blocks for a year! I know this because I write notes to myself. I have made 92 blocks and need 152 for the quilt.

Using a set of Glitter templates, I cut out more shapes. Then on the diagonal, I arranged nine-patch looking portion to machine-piece.

After I pressed seams, I stacked the four inset corners for each block with its machine-sewn section (pile on the left), They're ready for hand-piecing to set-in that "bent" seam. I learned early-on that my attempts to machine-sew those seams was less than satisfactory. So hand-piecing it is (far right)! 

Since I'm riding with two friends to QuiltCon, the stack of prepared-to-handpiece blocks will go with me, 

Also, I continue to stitch this hand embroidery piece started in June 2023. It's an enlarged design from Sarah Thomas's book Color Your Own Sariditty Sketchbook, embroidered with Wonderfil size 8 pearl cotton. 

I'm trying to create interest with a variety of stitches. This looks better in person than it does in these pictures. 

Book Recommendations

Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas is the first book in the Hathaway series that takes place in London and rural England in the 1800s. The story focuses on Amelia, the "responsible sister" who, because their parents have died, looks after her two younger sisters, and her older, irresponsible brother who has inherited a title and a deteriorating manor house and lands. 

Amelia meets a handsome man, "a Rom" (gypsy) by the name of Cam who has a reputation for managing and making money, and seducing with women. Being a respectable English lady, albeit a poor one, Amelia tries to resist a physical attraction to Cam. But when they find themselves in neighboring estates and in social situations that keep them in contact, their attraction grows. All the while, Amelia is despairing over her brother, a fragile sister who's recovering from scarlet fever, and keeping the secret of her youngest sister whose kleptomania must be the result of stress. 

In comes Cam to sweep Amelia off her feet (literally) and give her the emotional support she insists she doesn't need. I kept wanting to say to Amelia, "For being a fine English woman, you sure are willing to risk scandal by falling into bed... again and again." 

Linda's score: 3.6/5.0

Scrublands by Chris Hammer is the first book in the Martin Scarsden series. This won't be the last time I look for this author. 

Martin Scarsden is a reporter with the Sydney Morning Herald whose past experiences, hidden from the Taliban for three days in the trunk of a vehicle, has scarred him. His editor thinks Martin needs a change of scenery, so he's is assigned to write a "one year later" story about the citizens of a nearly abandoned (fictional) town, Riversend located near Bellington (also fictional), in the Outback.

The story Martin must write begins with the aftereffects of a Sunday morning, a year ago, when everyone's favorite priest, Bryon Swift, unexpectedly goes postal and shoots five men outside the church. Byron himself is then killed by a local policeman, so no one knows why Byron did the unthinkable.

At the Oasis bookstore/coffee shop, one of the few Riversend businesses that's open daily, Martin meets the beautiful owner, Mandalay Blonde. Then he meets the town's former mayor, drawing lagers at a local bar. The longer Martin stays in Riversend the more people he gets to know, and the more unanswered questions he uncovers. 

Mr. Hammer does a good job describing the environs. So much so that I could feel the 40C (104F) heat and dust in the air; could hear the quiet of the town except for rumbling bikies motoring through; and could see the red sunset due to smoke from bush fires. Hammer is an excellent writer! Though a couple scenes were pretty graphic - Codger lives in a ramshackle house in the scrubland and often doesn't wear clothes because of the heat - the locale, people, and interconnected storylines held my interest.

No surprise, Aussie narrator Rupert Degas, was fantastic! A couple characters spoke with full-blown Australian accents - the kind I describe as full of low, guttural "oi" sounds - that were so believable as to almost be difficult to understand. So, all in all, I highly recommend this one!

Linda's score: 4.4/5.0

Linda