End of August

So many things to post about... 

For the past seven days, hubs and I have been in Kansas City to visit my dad (two nights), and in Ohio (two nights) to meet-up with my siblings and a half-dozen cousins.

The drudgery of travel - some of it quite unpleasant with traffic jams and accidents, and finding alternate routes - was enlightened by going-to and coming-from stops at Buc-ee's near Calhoun, Georgia. 

A Buc-ee's is our favorite enroute destination for gas. Bathrooms are immaculate; the coffee is great; and their snacks are bounteous and always delicious. Our favorite take-away is Praline Pecans.  

I took a quilt along to give to my cousin Bill and his wife Linda who let us stay with them, and hosted our family gathering in their Ohio "party barn." They're more than relatives; they're dear friends. So it was easy to pick a quilt to give them. Linda decided to put this one on one of four single beds she has in a "bunk room," where their grandkids stay when they visit.

The quilt is Satisfaction, an English paper-pieced quilt design I made last December while participating in Amy Friend's @duringquiettime quilt along. 

Since hubs prefers to do all the driving, I had 3,000 miles of seat time to spend hand-piecing. Before we left I cut lots of convex and concave shapes to make Curvelets - 1" finished Drunkard's Path blocks. I kept all the pieces and tools in a little box that I used on my lap. 

I have no doubt that if I had cut more convex and concave pieces, I could have pieced more than these 132 blocks which are now pressed and ready to be trimmed to 1½" X 1½". 

If you're curious about how to make these little blocks, and if you're a member of the Modern Quilt Guild, you can watch Itty Bitty Curves: Curvelets by Jen Carlton-Bailey, and download cutting templates too.

As yet, I don't know what I'm doing with my curvelets, but I'm considering how I might use them along with hundreds of 1½" X 1½" print squares in my Leaders and Enders basket.

August travels really cut into my Quilt Your Life block-making, as I made only 35 blocks to represent engagement in 10 different activities. In July I made 46 blocks! As of August 31, I'm 92 days into my 100-day commitment to Quilt Your Life with a total of 131 blocks made so far. September 8 is my last day of tracking.

August Quilt Your Life blocks

All tallied, in August I made:

• 35 - 5½" X 5½" Quilt Your Life blocks
• 170 - 1½" X 1½" Curvelets 
• Like Totally BOM blocks
• pieced a backing and binding for the Bibliography selvedges quilt (finished quilt photos yet to come)
• 2 Dayna Packs (see previous post for info about that 👎 pattern) 

I used a total of 5.89 yards of fabric.

One yard came into my stash for lining Dayna Packs.

My net fabric usage for August is 4.89 yards.

I know it's not much, but fabric is going the right direction - out of my stash. 

Book Recommendations

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn takes place in 1950, in a sub-par Washington DC boarding house where women of diverse ages and personalities live under the roof of a persnickety mother of two children. The book begins with a murder, but who it is remains a mystery until the end. 

The real story begins with the arrival of Grace March to Briarwood. She accepts living in a dingy attic space, and gradually improves upon the whole house. She hosts dinners, paints flowers and vines on walls, and engages with each resident enough to draw them out so they get to know one another. Each boarder has her own story to tell, and the reader gets an inside look at every one.

It's worth listening to the author and narrator (Saskia Maarleveld) interview at the end of the book where Ms. Quinn explains her characters and where some of her ideas came from. Much of it is based on documented history. You may find Saskia's voice familiar; she also narrated The Rose Code, and The Alice Network - both wonderful books!

This was my favorite August book. Linda's score: 4.3/5.0

The Lady of Tarpon Springs by Judith McCoy Miller is a book I picked up because of the title. Tarpon Springs is a Florida coastal city on the Gulf of Mexico. It's actually the city where I had my 2013 lumpectomy for breast cancer.

The book takes place in 1905 when most people thought women were not meant to be lawyers or doctors. Yet two female characters in this story hold those positions.

Zanna is a young Greek woman, living with her parents and practicing law. Her grandmother and father would like nothing more than to have Zanna return to Greece to find a husband and begin having children. But Zanna is determined to help her female doctor friend follow-through on the doctor's deceased father's plan to start a sponge-diving business. Fifty men are on their way to Tarpon Springs where they will dive in a new, special suit that will take them to greater-than-ever depths. And they'll be diving from three boats especially made for retrieving sponges. 

When Nico arrives from Greece with his 49 men, Zanna is their Greek/English interpreter, and she must learn about the sponge business. As Zanna learns about diving for sponges, processing them, and selling them, I learned too. While their first efforts to gather sponges are successful, as the men make more trips to sea, one boat has problems. No one on the crew will tell Nico what's going on. 

This is a must-read for Floridians! Linda's score: 4.2/5.0

This month I listened to seven audiobooks. Those I gave a score of 4.0 or higher, out of 5.0, are:

• The Briar Club, Kate Quinn - 4.3
• What Have You Done?  Shari LaPena - 4.2
• Closer Than You Think (#4 in the Mags Monroe series) Jean Grainger - 4.2
• The Lady of Tarpon Springs Judith Miller - 4.2
• The Next Mrs. Parrish Liv Constantine - 4.1
• The Lost Hours Karen White - 4.1

A blog-reader and friend, Mary, emailed to let me know that she found two of my blog posts in her spam folder. At her suggestion, I'm mentioning this in case you too are having problems reading your favorite blogs. Seems that Google has done something new, and accessing posts has "gone sideways." Personally, I haven't yet encountered any problems, but as we know with Google/Blogger, technology can change quickly! Linda

Long Pause

I've let more than a week pass since my last blog post, so if for no other reason, I need to write this post to catch up on book reviews! But first... 

In my sewing room I've had my head down (listening to audiobooks) and pedal to the metal, quilting away on the Bibliography quilt. I finished quilting Sunday evening, and left this pile beside the sewing machine before heading to bed.

For quilting, I used a white iron-off marker to draw scaling sizes of circles - round acrylic ruler and Applipops - that I free motion quilted with blue rayon thread on top, and 50-weight Aurifil in the bobbin.

Then, using the same bobbin thread, I switched to a pale blue 50-weight top thread and a walking foot to quilt parallel lines through 30 diamond-shaped selvedge blocks. It has very nice texture!

Quilting, from the back. 

Last week at Big Cypress Quilters, one of our members led us in making Dayna Packs. I'd already made one before the workshop, so I assisted others as they made theirs. The Dayna Pack has one zipper in the front, but during the workshop I learned about a YouTube hack for adding a top zipper too, which I did on this one. I plan to gift this Dayna Pack to the leader of Peace, Love, and Ukulele Club (PLUC). That fun fabric is from Spoonflower.

As much as I like the Dayna Pack design, I'll be honest. Pattern instructions are poorly written. Pieces identified for making the pack aren't consistently called by the same name. Diagrams are few, and photos are difficult to see because examples use black fabric for the outside and purple fabric for in the inside, so they're difficult to differentiate.

As well, information isn't presented in order. For example: instructions say to cut a 4" X 6" rectangle for D-ring tabs. Then, it's mentioned that if you're using faux leather or vinyl, to be sure to cut with stretch across the 4" width. Of course, I read this AFTER I'd cut rectangle incorrectly.

If it wasn't for the video that comes with the pattern - a QR code to scan that takes you to the video - I would have been lost. Oh! And written instructions for adding D-ring tabs is different than what's demonstrated on the video. I'm glad I have bag-making experience because I think this pattern would be difficult for a first-time bag-maker to follow.

Thanks to a dear friend who loaned me use of her Curvelets templates and instructions, these are the new little things I've been playing with. It's been easy - and I feel frugal - to simply dig into a  bin of scrap solids and cut these small shapes. Each one is 1½" X 1½" unfinished. My first attempt looks like these. 

The process for making Curvelets is more laborious that I would have guessed. 1) trace and cut out a concave and convex shape (or use templates to cut with an 18 mm rotary cutter; I recently bought one); 2) draw the seam allowance onto the concave shape; 3) snip the concave seam allowance; 4) use a glue stick to adhere the concave piece on the convex piece; 5) hand piece with a size 10 straw needle and Aurifil 80-weight thread; 6) trim seam allowance; 7) trim block to 1½" X 1½". Whew!

It took me a while to catch on to seam accuracy, and getting a smooth pieced curve. I've begun to improve. Blocks at the top are finished; blocks at the bottom need to be squared/trimmed. 

The Next Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine is about the first Mrs. Parrish who has divorced Mr. Parrish and moved across the country with her two daughters. She's escaped from his clutches, though their older daughter doesn't understand. She want to be with him again... after he's released from jail. 

The current Mrs. Parrish is as conniving as her husband. They're not in love, but are so alike that they'll both lie and bargain to get what they want. 

When the first Mrs. Parrish is encouraged by her therapist to take her children back to their father for the summer, and he's determined to get her back in spite of him being married to the second Mrs. Parrish, plots and wicked schemes abound to accomplish that. Meanwhile the second Mrs. Parrish schemes to collect millions for the new life she has planned for herself. 

The author wove a very intricate plot that that me feeling both frustrated on behalf of the first Mrs. Parrish, and hoping the second Mrs. Parrish would blunder and receive her due.   

Linda's score: 4.0/5.0

Again, I unintentionally picked up a book that was part of a series. Though I vaguely wondered about that when the protagonists referred to an earlier shooting incident, I thought Closer Than You Think (#4 in the Mags Monroe series) by Jean Grainger was quite entertaining. 

Ballycarick is a small community in Ireland where everyone knows everyone. As chief of the Garda, Mags Monroe hears and knows more than she sometimes likes. Several locals are concerned about the white witch and warlock who have moved into the area and are offering readings. They're inciting negative actions among some people, and are considered harmless fun by others. While Mags fields complaints about them, she's also mending a rift between one of her officers and her traveler/AKA gypsy parents, and dealing with the return to Ballycarick of her husband's former love interest. Mags takes her job seriously, but she's also a doting mother to her two girls, a good wife, and a great friend to many.

I really enjoyed the author's way of talking and telling a story. Mag's husband is a roofer, so when this sentence popped up, I giggled aloud... then jumped back to listen again and jot it down. Funny. 

"A roofer afraid of rain is like an ashtray on a motorbike." 

I liked Mags. Her personality is forthright, and she's a person I would like to know better.

Also, somewhat surprisingly, this book was narrated by the author who does a wonderful job with voices. A caution though, if you have any problems hearing, Ms. Grainger speaks with a thick Irish accent which is even more pronounced when she's speaking as a traveler (gypsy). I had to replay a couple parts because I wasn't "in tune" to the accent! 

Now I plan to listen to the first book in the series: The Existential Worries of Mags Munroe.

Linda's score: 4.3/5.0

The Lost Hours by Karen White takes place in Savannah, Georgia. Since her parents died, Piper has lived with her grandparents in a mansion on one of the city's iconic squares. With her grandfather recently deceased, and her grandmother in a nursing home because she suffers from Alzheimer's, Piper finds herself alone and facing, with difficulty, the equestrian accident that stole her dreams six years ago. She's also finally going through her grandmothers things.

In an old trunk she discovers a hand-knitted baby jacket, and in the attic she discovers a hidden room. These things, along with an angel charm and papers given to her by the family lawyer, lead Piper on a path toward discovery about secrets that three women thought to take to their graves. 

The story was rich with Southern charm - an old rice plantation, stables, horses, well-tended gardens, and a family cemetery. 

Linda's score: 4.1/5.0

Last Saturday I spent the day with nine children between the ages of 9 and 12 who are in a local 4-H club.

Volunteers helped kids learn how to use a sewing machine and rotary cut fabric to ultimately make a quilt for "Showcase," Quilting Guild of The Villages's show January 24-25 2025. I haven't taught kids this age since the 1980s, and had forgotten how challenging it is. I was on my feet most of the day, but came home feeling good about launching a new generation of quiltmakers. I hope! Linda

Time Flies

Time flies when you have company! Days whizzed past last week when our son and two grandsons from Texas came for an almost-six day visit. I love having them here.

Three extra people meant turning my sewing room into a bedroom, and that's a good time for some deep cleaning. Dust and fibers were vacuumed off the blinds and design wall, baseboards were wiped down, and every surface was generally decluttered and swiped clean. As we know, it won't last, but it's nice to have a refresh. 

Our timing for their visit wasn't the best. Between the high heat and Tropical Storm Debby we were kept from outdoor activities. It can be a little challenging for 10 and 14 year-old boys to find indoor things to do. Anticipating their visit, I bought another Lego flower set - Flower Bouquet. Both boys made flowers - roses, poppy, aster, lavender, snapdragons, daisies.

I've added them to the Wildflower Bouquet they during their last visit, so it's pretty impressive. Best; they never fade.

We played Rummikub, Uno, and Concentration; saw the movie Twisters; went to a local flea market; played indoor miniature golf, and bowled. But one form of entertainment that has been the most enduring, is playing with empty Publix yogurt cups! Who knew?!

I saved yogurt cups about ten years ago, thinking they'd be good for toddlers. And they were! Surprisingly, they're still popular!

Luke stacked 55 cups, and then, going from the top down, he quickly made stacks. He even had fun sorting them by types and flavors! Easy, free entertainment.

 

During down time, mostly while watching Olympics, I hand stitched (with #8 perle cotton) all of the third wedge of the modern potholder quilt, Pot Luck.

And since returning my sewing room to useable status, I sewed labels on two quilts - Prudence and Satisfaction. 

I also made blocks for the Like Totally BOM being offered through the Seattle MQG. August blocks are three inset circles.

Though I've made many inset circle blocks, I tried the new-to-me method offered in a tutorial. It involves freezer paper, a glue stick, and Elmer's school glue, and worked very well - a nice, precise way to ensure a circle sews perfectly into a hole. The inset circle tutorial is by Louise Wackerman @imfeelincrafty who also designed this Like Totally BOM. 

Book Recommendation

I was on a waiting list to listen to Ruth Ware's new book One Perfect Couple. For the second time, Ware disappointed me. 

The premise for this long story is that a producer is making a TV series based on five high-profile, unmarried couples - social media successes - who meet on a tropical island to face challenges that lead to determining which two people are most perfect as a couple. 

Lyla is unwillingly along for the ride, so to speak. She's a scientist and it's her boyfriend, Nico, who has aspirations of being a successful actor. One Perfect Couple is his big break; Lyla anticipates she will be kicked out within two weeks. What no one expects is a tropical storm that knocks out power and the island's desalination facility. The turmoil and anxiety that follows involves food and water rationing, and nine (remaining) distinct personalities, each one selected by the producer to create strong opinions and entertaining dissension. 

While the story itself is good, I was overwhelmed (again) by the foul language. My rough mental tally heard 87 uses of the disgusting four-letter word. Why? Also, narrator Imogene Church sounded too familiar. While she's good (according to the Internet, among the top five audiobook narrators) I've heard her too often. 

So, for the story I'd give this book a 3.6; for the language, I give it a big fat zero.

Linda's score: 3.6/5.0

I was also on a waiting list for Shari LaPena's book What Have You Done? This one was definitely worth the wait!

From the moment I began listening, I was hooked on the story of Diana Brewer, a 17 year-old whose body is found in a field near the small community of Fairhill, Vermont. Diana's boyfriend is devastated, but quickly becomes a suspect, as do several other men, enticed by Diana's beauty. While teenagers and parents try to understand who would murder such a popular, well-liked girl, secrets being kept by several people may have prompted her death. 

Excellent narration by January LaVoy, Jorjeana Marie, and Barrett Leddy made the story very entertaining.  

Linda's score: 4.2/5.0 

  

Linda