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