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

Teaching There and Here

This past week I did something I haven't done for quite a while. I traveled to give two quilty programs and a workshop. Though I had to do quite a bit of prep, it was an enjoyable, refreshing change-of-pace.

Sun City Center, Florida is where I went to spend a day and a half with members of Kings Point Quilters. Their guild has 135 members.

They were simply lovely people, and treated me royally.

Thursday morning I presented the program: What is Modern Quilting? and shared 14 of my modern quilts. 

Then I enjoyed a member-made pot luck lunch. Their soups and desserts were delicious. I moved around a bit, sitting with quilters at different tables to get acquainted with them and learn about their quilting interests. Following lunch, I presented Domestic Machine Quilting: A Quilter's Journey, and shared another 8 quilts. 

Friday morning I led my Domestic Machine Quilting: Around the Bend (free motion quilting) workshop. 

Time spent with them couldn't have gone more smoothly. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, sharing what I love. I'd like to believe the quilters learned and had fun too.

Kings Point Quilters meet in a community building that's in their retirement community. Amazingly, they have a dedicated quiltmaking space for themselves called the Fiber Arts Room. Given that their dues are only $15, they have a wonderful set-up. 

Their rooms are set-up beautifully with tables and chairs, multi-plug electrical disks, and two raised ironing stations. 

Apparently this was once an exercise space because mirrors on one wall reflect great light. 

In the center of the room is an island cutting station with storage for rulers and rotary cutters.

Shelves of Janome sewing machines, bought several years ago, are available to members.

In a side room are spacious closets fabric, threads and notions are kept. 

A quilt is in-progress on a hand quilting frame near a window. 

And there's a coffee center. 

A number of quilters used a foldable cart that I'd never seen before. I looks like a shopping cart and is called a CLAX. Amazingly, it folds entirely flat for storage, with even the wheels coming off to be popped into storage cavities. The basket is a separate piece that also collapses flat. Multiple baskets can be stacked. I was told that most quilters trolley their sewing machine on the bottom, and supplies on top. Here's a video. From what I've been able to find online, the CLAX comes in black with green, red, or pink accents. Pretty cool, isn't it? Don't you think we each need one?

After returning home, on Saturday I spent about five hours with the local 4-H club.

The kids are wrapping up the making of their quilts that will hang in "Showcase," the January 24-25 quilt show put on by Quilting Guild of The Villages.

I guided 11 year-old Jada as she measured her quilt for binding, cut and pieced strips, sewed binding to the quilt, and begin hand-stitching to sew down the binding. She's definitely got quiltmaking talent.   

I have to say I was really touched when Jada thanked me for helping her, saying I was the only person (other than her mom) to help her with her quilt. And best... I got a hug. Made my day!

As for my own sewing room activities... time there has been limited. I've begun quilting the improv quilt made in the Speed Date With Improv workshop. Thus far I've quilted four whole and partial spirals spirals using three thread colors - blue, while, and black. 

Small snatches of time find me weaving selvedges on my peg loom. So far, my rug is about 15" long.. 

Book Recommendations

The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith is about a family that's been torn apart, both physically and emotionally. 

Olivia and Caitlin were left at home while their parents went to dinner. An intruder goes to Olivia's room, and while Caitlin watches through a crack in the door, Olivia is abducted by a mask-wearing man who's holding a knife to her throat.

A decade later, Caitlin receives a call from her father saying Olivia has returned. Overjoyed by the family reunion, no one sees that Olivia isn't the quite same person who was abducted. Olivia's remembrances and explanations don't jive with what Caitlin knows. She becomes suspicious, and unknowingly puts herself in danger. 

This is one of those books that tells two different stories that are seemingly unrelated. It's not until well past the half-way point of the book that a connection is made between stories. Then it becomes a little far-fetched, yet compelling. Few readers will envision how it ends. I liked it. 

This author was recommended by my local quilter-friend Karen, and I'm glad she suggested it. I see more Dandy Smith books in my future. 

Linda's score: 4.4/5.0

Funny Story by Emily Henry is a book title an Instagram friend read, so I thought I'd give it a go.

Daphne and Peter have been engaged for several years and their wedding is imminent. When Peter's bachelor party includes his childhood friend, Petra, who admits that she's always loved him, Peter dumps Daphne. Her world crashes. Petra has wrecked her boyfriend Mile's world too. 

Daphne must move out of the house she shares with Peter; since Petra's departure, Miles has extra space in his apartment. They begin co-habitating. Daphne quietly continues working as a librarian, feeling utterly alone. When Peter unexpectedly calls, Daphne lies to him - that her formerly platonic relationship with Miles has become more. Daphne realizes she has to let Miles in on the ruse. When there's an opportunity to make their relationship appear real to Peter and Petra, both Daphne and Miles realize something is happening.

But Miles and Daphne are carrying emotional baggage related to their childhoods: Miles with a gaslighting Mother, and Daphne with a never-present father.

I've scored this book lower than on Goodreads. Call me a prude, but among my reasons for a lower score is its too many graphically-descriptive physical interactions. 

Linda's score: 3.8/5.0

Mind Games by Nancy Mehl is book #1 in the Kaely Quinn Profiler series. Kaely is introduced as a skilled and highly-respected profiler who works for the FBI. When she was 14 years old, Jessica (her name at that time), her mother and brother were traumatized when they learned that their husband/father was a serial killer. As Kaely Quinn, she has devote herself to her job, identifying, finding, and stopping these monsters. 

A newspaperman who's been hounding Kaely for an interview about her life story, receives a cut-out block letter printed poem indicating that several people are going to die, including Kaely. Working with Special Agent Noah Hunter, she is intently focused on profiling the person who's behind the threats... and murders. The killer knows Kaely too well, and is determined to make her pay for her father's sins.

Perhaps a bit surprisingly, this book has Christianity woven into it, with Kaely giving Noah a testimony about her faith. I found this utterly refreshing, and I appreciate the clean language too.  

This author and the Kaely Quinn series were recommended to me by Minnesota Blogger-quilter-friend Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting. Thank you, Nancy! I'm looking forward to continuing the series. 

Linda's score: 4.4/5.0

Linda