Quilts and Books

About 5-6 years ago I was reading some fiction reviews in Library Journal when I ran across a brief review of Mary Balogh’sA Summer to Remember. I decided to check it out of the library and a day later my love of the romance genre was reborn. I loved this book and I loved the way Ms. Balogh created a book with such emotional depth. I proceeded to buy (and read) every other MB book I could get my hands on, although for some reason I never really wanted to read the precursor to ASTR, One Night for Love. I think because I “knew” what happened in that book, it was not a priority to read it. So it’s been in my TBR pile for all these years.

With Mary Balogh’s newest release (Simply Perfect) due next week, I decided it was finally time to read ONFL. This is the book where SP’s hero, Joseph, Marquess of Attingsborough, makes his first appearance. It seemed appropriate that I finally read it before reading SP.

ONFL is the first book in what has become a rather massively connected series known be…

This is the kit that I finished quilting while on my retreat 2 weeks ago. Here it is all bound with a hanging sleeve. Another UFO out the door. Yippee!

The YOU docs have the following to say about reading:

On cognitive tests, book lovers outperform people with lower reading levels. No surprise there. But the big news is that people who read regularly may develop a "cognitive reserve." What’s that mean? That they’ve got extra brainpower to keep the mind rolling when brain cells are under attack. In a study of factory workers, the brains of the big readers functioned just fine on cognitive tasks, despite on-the-job exposure to toxic substances, like lead.


So next time I feel guilty for reading instead of cleaning the bathroom, I'll just remind myself that my cognitive reserve might be running low and I should stock up. Besides, do you have any idea how toxic those bathroom cleansers really are?

I won an ARC of this from Dear Author and Jane invited me to write a review to post as a guest review there. You can go here to read it. I feel all famous and stuff.

This is a picture of the 4 projects I worked on this weekend. The two hangings just need bindings now and they'll be done. It should be pretty quick to finish the tops that I got started that are just piles of blocks and strip sets so far.

Here are close ups of the quilting on the two hangings. I received some lovely compliments for the echo quilting on the larger piece. Good thing, because that puppy turned into a monster amount of work. But it was a good skill-builder, so it was worth it.


Machine Update. I talked to a machine repair expert in another state who is a friend of my sister. He gave me some excellent advice depending on the verdict from the local guy about my dead machine. He also has 3 used Pfaff 2048s for a very good price if I need to do the unthinkable.

I shot this picture while everyone was at breakfast. What a great time we all had. And some beautiful quilts were made. I finished quilting two wall hangings and started two lap quilts. One of my machines also seems to have bit the dust. I think its circuit board is fried, but a definitive diagnosis won't happen for a few days. Ouch. This is going to cost me. That's my now-dead machine in the foreground on the right. Good thing I have a back-up.

As a quilter, I LOVE fabric. I love to look at it. I love to touch it. I love to cut it into small pieces and sew it back together. I buy fabric as compulsively as some readers buy books. For fun, here are some random pieces from my fabric collection:


I love this sunflower batik. Someday I will use it. Really. I will.


I found this bear fabric in Montana last year while visiting Yellowstone. It seemed the perfect vacation souvenir.



Did you know that Jane Austen and her sisters made a quilt? I've downloaded the pattern. It's not an easy one. Anyhow, I've a small collection of floral fabrics that I want to use in my own version of the Jane Austen quilt. These two fabrics may end up in that quilt. Or not.


I love this fabric. I have no idea what to do with it. But I have 2 yards of it for the day I finally get an idea.



These two each remind me of water. I wouldn't use them together, but they would work in something where I want to suggest water. They're very different, but I…