It's time to tally-up fabric used during July, and review and recommend audio books.
Fabric came in this month: 3 yards of Painter's Palette Banana for the background of Ignite, my yellow Pick a Color Challenge Quilt, along with FIFA World Cup soccer fabric.
I bought a packpack panel and one yard of fabric for lining that I plan to sew for a teen grandson who loves soccer, plays on two soccer teams, and attended a World Cup soccer game (Algeria and Austria) in Kansas City.
Still, outgoing fabric was higher than fabric than incoming.
Besides counting yardage used to piece the front and back of Ignite which is approximately 66" X 66", and includes 432 linear inches of 1"-wide bias tape, I helped out two friends by giving them several fabric pieces for their projects, and sewed two headbands for a friend in my Iowa bible study group. These Twist Front Headbands were made using this YouTube video.
Though I cut and pieced for several hours during last Saturday's Sew-In with Central Florida MQG, I've made only these little blocks that are 3" and 4" square-ish. See how our class went on the blog post link above. 
I ended the month with 26+ hours of listening to The Thorn Birds, a 1977 publication by Colleen McCullough. Though I'd read the print book in the late 70s, and in 1983 watched the TV mini series with Richard Chamberlain, I had forgotten the story. Making the book even more enjoyable is the fact that since reading it, I traveled to Australia four times! I could better relate to the locale of the story, including a bit about a boat trip through Sydney. The book is so good!
J.D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy, published in 2016, has been on my reading list for a years - not because it was written by our vice president (he wasn't at the time), nor because he's Republican (he was a Democrat at the time), but it was recommended to me. The book is about his life - a difficult upbringing (he IS a self-professed Hillbilly), overcoming odds, facing the demons he was given, and appreciating his observations about Appalachians living in poverty, and overcoming it or not. His second novel, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith was release in June.
The Atlas of Untold Stories by Sara Brunsvold, is the second book I've read by this author. Ms. Brunsvold tells this story about two sisters, as different as night and day, who take their elegant stay-at-home mother on a road trip. Over the course of ten days, they visit numerous places in the Midwest (Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa) where famous authors have lived or made their mark. Among other places, I was delighted to (re)visit Hannibal, Missouri; Madison County Bridges (Iowa); and Field of Dreams with these three women who were at odds with one another through most of the book. I appreciated the author's honest look into difficult mother/daughter relationships, and the love that underpins the most trying situations.
Hissy Fit by Mary Kay Andrews begins with an almost-wedding. It's rehearsal night when the bride finds her finance, A.J., in flagrante delicto with her best friend/maid of honor. With that introduction to Keelie and her first hissy fit, readers continue to follow Keelie in her role as an interior decorator. Handsome Will Mahoney has given her the task of restoring a decayed Madison, Georgia antebellum mansion to its former majestic beauty in just a few months. Impossible, but what a challenge, especially working for Will. This was a pleasant, enjoyable romance - a good palette-cleanser.
Book Recommendations
It was a good month for audiobook listening with nine titles keeping me entertained as I knitted, crocheted, and made a quilt.
According to my scores with 5.0 being the highest, I recommend:
- 4.8 - The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCullough
- 4.7 - Hillbilly Elegy, J.D. Vance
- 4.6 - The Atlas of Untold Stories, Sara Brunsvold
- 4.4 - The Final Act of Juliet Willoughby, Ellery Lloyd
- 4.4 - Hissy Fit, Mary Kay Andrews
- 4.3 - Winter's Secret, book #6 in the Winter Black series, Mary Stone
- 4.3 - Winter's Web, book #7 (last) in the Winter Black series, Mary Stone
- 4.2 - Autumn's Game, book #1 in the Autumn Trent series, Mary Stone
- 3.8 - The Shippers, Katherine Center
Even better, for those of you who are Outlander fans (Diana Gabaldon) and have listened to that series of books, you will appreciate that the narrator of The Thorn Birds is the same person - Davina Porter! I am a huge fan of her lovely, perfectly narrated voice. Listening to the book was extra special.
After completing the book, I looked up other Colleen McCullough titles that I've saved/favorited. Interestingly, Wikipedia says that Ms. McCullough thought The Thorn Birds mini series was "instant vomit," saying that it didn't portray the nuances of her book and that the acting was poor. I think us book-readers would all agree that the book is always better than the movie.
Put The Thorn Birds on your reading list, or reread list.
The Final Act of Juliet Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd is a story that takes you into the world of art. Though Juliet is a fictional character, real artists are included in the tale that involves fraudulent artwork, a club of university schoolmates, and two instances of intentional misdirection (death and murder). Money and fame can wreak havoc and hide unexpected revelations.
Hissy Fit by Mary Kay Andrews begins with an almost-wedding. It's rehearsal night when the bride finds her finance, A.J., in flagrante delicto with her best friend/maid of honor. With that introduction to Keelie and her first hissy fit, readers continue to follow Keelie in her role as an interior decorator. Handsome Will Mahoney has given her the task of restoring a decayed Madison, Georgia antebellum mansion to its former majestic beauty in just a few months. Impossible, but what a challenge, especially working for Will. This was a pleasant, enjoyable romance - a good palette-cleanser.
About the next three books on the list, all by Mary Stone...
I completed the Winter Black series with book #7, and immediately started the Autumn Trent series because one series flows into the other.
Early in the Winter Black books, Autumn is introduced and becomes Winter's best friend. The Autumn series focuses on Autumn and her work for the FBI, but Winter continues to be part of each story.
As much as I enjoy these books, when read one after the other, the predictable topic about at least one serial killer who often preys on young women, or couples, or in one case teens becomes heavy. While I appreciate well-written, who-done-it stories, for my mental well-being I need a break between them.
Interesting Tidbit
I'll leave you with a very interesting and perhaps helpful tidbit of information that I learned just this week. It was shared with me by a friend who learned it from her doctor.
Did you know...
If you have an urgent need to use the bathroom to urinate, you should start thinking about math!
Do math calculations in your head, or say them aloud to yourself.
Your urgency will go away and you'll make it to the loo in time.
Have you ever heard this? I've already learned it works for me! Linda
Oooooh, those tiny scrap blocks may be a squirrel! I look forward to seeing what you do with them.
ReplyDeleteI find that if I read too many books at once, they all mush together, so I totally get what you were saying about how one dark theme can really weigh down a soul. Best to take a break from those! I read Vance's book at the time, but have since gotten a better understanding of where his book falls into the complete narrative of the Appalachian people.
ReplyDeleteLove your aqua scraps!
I love your scrap blocks. I love to play with scraps and to let they sleep in a box or make a new quilt with. And how you yellow quilt turns (previous post!) Have a nice week-end.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anonymous! Based on comments, it seems everyone likes these leftover bits sewn into little blocks. For me, it's about using-up the smallest scraps of fabric. I expect this will be a very long term project, but perfect for working on away from home during sew days and retreats. Thanks for liking "Ignite," my yellow quilt. It's become a burdensome sort of project - one I'm tired of working on, but must see it finished! Thanks for your support with it. I wish I knew who you were, so I could think of you having a nice weekend too. :-) Linda
DeleteI love everything about this post because I adore scraps and my favourite book is the Thorn Birds. I will have to listen to it! Have you listened to Barbra Streisand's memoir? It is 24 hours but very interesting.
ReplyDeleteWho knew there was FIFA fabric?! Your grandson will be pleased. Thanks for the reading suggestions. There is a lot of cutting and piecing in your aqua blocks, so I can see it could be slow going, though satisfying to make a dent. Had to chuckle about the math- some years ago a nurse informed a quilt group about another new concept called “driveway incontinence “! The nearness of home increased urgency. If only she’d known about the math… ha, ha.
ReplyDeleteYour yellow quilt is so innovative. I'm always amazed at quilters who are adept at improv--that is definitely not me. Where do you get your Painter's Palette?
ReplyDeleteThe math works---using it right now.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your work. Reading your page is
my stress reliever. Lots of good ideas but need more time in my life.
Hi Ellie! Your comment sure gave me a smile. I'm glad the tidbit I shared was worthwhile. Don't ya love it when you learn something new that's totally practical? And thank YOU for your generous comment about my blog post. A "stress reliever"? How nice of you to say that. I understand about needing "more time" though. Don't we all? Even those of us who are retired wish for more hours in the day - at least I do. Have you read the book "Sleepless" by Gordon Korman? It's a work of fiction (I'll review it at the end of August, but I'm giving it high marks), about several pre-adolescents who don't need to sleep at night, and what they accomplish. It's an entertaining read with good food for thought. Thanks for commenting!
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