Loving my books!

Recently, there was a big blog hop with more than 250 blogs participating.  I did read ALL the blogs, but I controlled myself and only entered 20......the ones that had the prizes I thought I would be most likely to use.  I didn't want to win something that would have been more important to someone else.  I really didn't think I'd win anything by entering only 20 out of the 250...and considering how many others also entered those 20 giveaways, but.....much to my surprise, I did win on two of them!   I won this really nice collection of books and a set of postcards about quilts that are in the Michigan State University quilt museum.  This was from the Quilt Doctor blog.

I also got this very nice book from Janet K......and I am tearing my hair out looking for her blog name.  (My email is acting up on my computer BIG TIME and many things are not accessible to me right now, including my exchange of emails with Janet that has her blog name in them!)  This book has a lot of great applique for various seasons and holidays....all shown as table runners/toppers.  I'm not so great on applique but I like several of these enough to give it a try.  NOTE: Edited to add the name of Janet's blog ..... A Hug Delights. 

And....on Christmas morning, I got these 3 books AND a nice Amazon gift certificate to order more books for my Kindle.  I love to find ways to cut and make traditional quilt blocks using my GO! cutter, so the two quilt block books will be a terrific resource for me!  You can see I have lots of fun hours of reading (and quilt-making) ahead of me over the long, cold months of January and February! 

A mixed bag today.....

Today I have 3 different things to discuss here.......first is these 4 fat quarters. Those of you who have read my blog for awhile might recall that I sought your input on a guild "brown bag" project. I had to put 4 fat quarters in a bag and send them off and I'd not know who got them....and who would be making something for ME with those 4 fat quarters. Well....this photo shows the 4 fat quarters I got that belong to someone else and for whom I have to make something (by the July meeting). I am permitted to add fabrics...but must use at least a bit of each of these 4 fabrics. If I make a miniature quilt, it has to be more than 12 inches on each side. I am going to ask for ideas for this......I was thinking of a log cabin mini....or maybe even making a toss pillow cover and even supplying the pillow to put inside it. Of course, I could do always do a table runner...maybe with some star-type blocks in it since the fabric leans toward the "patriotic" in looks but I also need to be mindful that one of the fabrics is a directional print. If any of you look at this fabric and have any super ideas, please let me know. (I am not so good on making purses.......so I'd probably not attempt that.) I think if you click on the photo, you could see the fabrics in greater detail. I doubt the gal who supplied this fabric reads my blog, so we can safely discuss this here.

Second is a book I borrowed from the library that looks like it will be quite good. Have any of you read this book or used it? It is called Machine Quilting: A Primer of Techniques and was written by Sue Nickels. I really need to learn to do some good, basic quilting on my regular machine so I can make my wall-hangings and runners more interesting. I also own Foolproof Machine Quilting by Mary Mashuta and that looks to be good, too....although I've not really put it to the test yet.

And last is a photo I wanted to show you of the tulip blocks I showed here a few weeks back. I was considering a few lay-outs and many of you liked this one best and I am glad you convinced me to do it this way. I did put a border on it and will probably call it quits and use it as a small table topper...I had considered one more border with some cornerstones but think that might be too much. What do you think? (I love to get a nice variety of ideas and opinions from my blogging buddies!)

I hope all of you have a nice weekend. Our weather is to be more like spring this weekend than summer...which is fine since it IS only spring now, after all, and those low 90's we had earlier this week were too hot too quickly!

First block in the Jelly Roll quilt-along....

This is a photo of the first block I have made in the Jelly Roll quilt-along. (Information is on my sidebar, if you want to join or look at the blocks made by everyone else.) I am using a jelly roll from Moda's Fig & Plum fabric line. I won this awhile back from Debi (thanks, Debi) and I never knew what I wanted to do with it. This quilt-along seems like it will be fun. I am not really happy with the dark burgundy pieces I put in the center of this one, BUT....there will be other dark burgundies in upcoming blocks, so I'm sure it will all balance out in the end.

GOOD news.....the book I spoke about last week.....Leaving Gee's Bend......arrived in the mail yesterday. I am hoping to get it read within the next day or two. (My darned part-time typing job keeps getting in the way of "stuff", though.....ya know??? LOL) I will be sure to report on the book here when I finish with it. Oh, yes....be sure to check out the Tree Time BOM that is listed on my sidebar. It is being done by Molly, a blogging friend in Texas, and if you click on the little picture there, you can go and get the patterns, too. It is cute......and others have told me it is quite easy to make. Cute and easy......two words that work for me!!!

Blogging can lead to some unique opportunities...

When I began to blog, I hoped to meet others with similar interests and I have succeeded beyond my expectations. Little did I know, though, that blogs are researched and read by professionals in other walks of life and could lead to other interesting happenings....until two days ago! At that time, I was contacted by a west coast publicist to talk to me about the first-novel of an author for whom she is working. The author is Irene Latham (HERE is her website) from Alabama. She has written a book aimed at young readers (ages 10 and up) that I would classify as historical fiction.....based on the now well-known Gee's Bend quilting community and life there in the early 1930's. I have been offered the exciting opportunity to read the book (title is Leaving Gee's Bend....see cover photo to the right) and to talk about it afterwards on my blog AND to have the author do a guest post or an inteview on this blog for me and for all of you. This book is now in print and has received some very good reviews, so I am quite enthusiastic about being a part of this process. If the book is as good as I expect it to be, I will be happy to "tell the world" (or at least my blogging world and my quilt guild) of a book that contains a heartwarming story of a young quilter leaving the security of her close-knit community for the first time. I anticipate receiving my copy of the book in about a week, so keep looking here for further updates about this and...down the road a bit.....an interview of some type with Ms. Latham. This is a unique opportuniy and I embrace becoming part of helping Ms. Latham to market a book that will give young people a glimpse into the calming, restorative effects of quilting. I'm sure you agree with me that the quilting legacy needs to be cultivated in our young people so it can live on after we are gone. I hope you will join me on this journey and, perhaps, along the way, you might want to get this book and read it, also.