Books Read - July, 2012

1. Head Hunter by Tim Downs
2. Robert B. Parker's Lullaby: A Spenser Novel by Ace Atkins
3. Head Games by Tim Downs
4. Dead is Forever by David Cray
5. The Innocent by David Baldacci
6. Remembrance Day by Henry Porter
7. The Chicago Way by Michael Harvey
8. The Fifth Floor by Michael Harvey
9. Die a Stranger by Steve Hamilton
10. Never Tell by Alafair Burke
11. Liars Anonymous by Louise Ure
12. Gifts of the Crow: How Perception, Emotion, and Thought Allow Smart Birds to Behave Like Humans by John Marzluff and Tony Angell (NF)
13. Bird Sense: What It's Like to be a Bird by Tim Birkhead (NF) 
14. Forcing Amaryllis by Louise Ure
15.  Defensive Wounds by Lisa Black

Some of My Projects This Week

 I've started more socks and I'm still working on the Lightening Steaks quilt blocks.  I'm working on a couple of other quilt tops too, but I've put those aside for now.  Because I've taken the summer off work, I have a lot more time to play including not only knitting and quilting, but also gardening and taking care of my chickens.
 

Lightening Streak Scrap Blocks

I've finished piecing six Lightening Streak blocks made of scraps.  The blocks are 9" square and I'm going to set them 8 x 10 to make a quilt 72" x 90".  That means I have to piece 74 more blocks.  I certainly have enough scraps to do it!

Books Read -- June, 2012

1. Angel Fire by Lisa Miscione
2. Where Memories Lie by Deborah Crombie (CD book)
3. The Darkness Gathers by Lisa Miscione
4. Liberated Medallion Quilts by Gwen Marston (NF)
5. Still Waters by John Harvey
6. Very Bad Men by Harry Dolan
7. Bad Things Happen by Harry Dolan
8. All Shall be Well by Deborah Crombie (CD book)
9. From Cop to Corpse by Peter Lovesey
10. An Unmarked Grave by Charles Todd
11. And Justice There is None by Deborah Crombie (CD book)
12. Necessary as Blood by Deborah Crombie (CD book)
13. Criminal Paradise by Steven Thomas
14. Chop Shop by Tim Downs
15. Burning Midnight by Loren D. Estleman

High Five Quilt

This is my latest quilt, High Five, from the book Sunday Morning Quilts by Amanda Jean Nyberg and Cheryl Arkison.  I love this book and plan to make several quilts from it.  The blocks are 4 1/2" square and the quilt is 60" x 90".  It is machine pieced and hand quilted.  I'm still working on using up fabric scraps and have yet another scrap quilt top (although not a pattern from this book) in the frame. 

Finished Quilt

I've been working on reducing my fabric scraps.  This quilt was finished and bound yesterday and is now on my bed.  It's 64" x 80".  I have another quilt in the frame now that I hope to finish by the end of next month, another scrap quilt started, and plans to make two smaller quilts.  All of these are machine pieced, one with a small amount of applique.  I want to get back to appliqueing blocks for my Homecoming quilt as well.  Too many quilts!  Not enough time!  

Books Read--May, 2012

1. The Unquiet by John Connolly
2. Stay Close by Harlan Coban
3. Twice by Lisa Miscione
4. Fear of Drowning by Peter Turnbull
5. Rough Treatment by John Harvey
6. The 11th Hour by James Patterson
7. A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie (CD book)
8. Nemesis by Agatha Christie (CD book)
9. The Way Between the Worlds by Alys Clare
10. Elegy for Edie by Jacqueline Winspear
11.All Wound Up by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (NF)
12.  The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen (CD book)
13. The Body in the Boudoir by Katherine Hall Page
14.Two Way Cut by Peter Turnbull

Books Read--April, 2012

1. No Mark Upon Her by Deborah Crombie
2. Exposed by Alex Kava
3. Stagestruck by Peter Lovesey
4. On the Edge by Peter Lovesey
5. The Summons by Peter  Lovesey
6.  Betrayal of Trust by J.A. Jance
7.  The Soul Catcher by Alex Kava
8. A Teeny Bit of Trouble by Michael Lee West
9. Sunday Morning Quilts by  Amanda Jean Nyberg and Cheryl Arkison (NF)
10. Smoke by Lisa Miscione 
11.Cold in Hand by John Harvey 
12. The Burning Soul by John Connolly
13. Cold Light by John Harvey

Books Read--March, 2012

1. Hotwire by Alex Kava
2. Flesh and Blood by John Harvey
3. Hit and Run by John Creasey
4. The Headhunters by Peter Lovesey
5. Victims by Jonathan Kellerman
6. The Faces of Angels by Lucretia Grindle
7. Judgment Calls by Alafair Burke
8. The Last Detective by Peter Lovesey
9. The Reaper by Peter Lovesey
10. The Secret Hangman by Peter Lovesey
11. The Circle by Peter Lovesey
12. The House Sitter by Peter Lovesey
13. Catch Me by Lisa Gardner

Books Read--February, 2012

1.All I Did Was Shoot My Man by Walter Mosley
2.Taken by Robert Crais
3.Tabula Rasa by Shelly Reuben
4. The Skirt Man by Shelly Reuben
5. Cause and Origin by Shelly Reuben
6. The Anatomist's Apprentice by Tessa Harris
7. At the Stroke of Madness by Alex Kava
8. Angel's Tip Alafair Burke
9. Black Friday by Alex Kava
10. 212 by Alafair Burke
11. Split Second by Alex Kava
12. The Scarpetta Factor by Patricia Cornwell
13. Spent Matches by Shelly Reugen
14. Isle of Dogs by Patricia Cornwell

Week 3: Homecoming

My knitting/quilting time has been limited this week due to pain in my shoulder. The tentative diagnosis I have is rotator cuff calcific tendonitis. I could not raise my arm very high last week; the worst part was that my husband had to comb my hair. I also haven't been sleeping well. I have an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon on Monday, although my condition is unlikely to require surgery. I am grateful that it appears I do not have a rotator cuff tear. I will, however, have to limit my activities for a while and will probably need to have physical therapy. Blech.

I did make this tree:

and six log cabin blocks. I've sewn two together and plan to applique a couple on it.

Here are a few of the many books I'm using for patterns and inspiration.


I did manage to finish a house block.


Everything about it seems a little wonky, but then, that's what my week has been like.

Week 2: Homecoming

I made another large house block this week.
House with Trees 12" x 20"

What?! You've never seen a pink tree? Or a purple moon? Making anything any color I want is one of the most fun parts of quilting. It makes me think of a line from Dylan Thomas, A Child's Christmas in Wales, which I read every Christmas. Describing Useless Presents, he writes "...and a painting book in which I could make the grass, the trees, the sea and the animals any colour I pleased,and still the dazzling sky-blue sheep are grazing in the red field under the rainbow-billed and pea-green birds."

And see that blue fabric I used for the roof? I thought I'd used the last tiny bit of it in a doll quilt. Then I found a good yard and a half of it in my stash. I have too much fabric. NOT!

I made fifteen smaller blocks too.

Books Read--January, 2012

1. The Wyndham Case by Jill Paton Walsh
2. Dying in the Dark by Sally Spencer
3. Breakdown by Sara Paretsky
4. Well-offed in Vermont by Amy Patricia Meade
5. Private #1 Suspect by James Patterson
6. New York Dead by Stuart Woods
7. A Little Gentle Sleuthing by Betty Rowlands
8. Party to Murder by Betty Rowlands
9. The Confession by Charles Todd
10. One False Move by Alex Kava
11. Weeping by Shelly Reuben

Week 1: Homecoming

I considered several names for this quilt including Country Life, It's a Wonderful Life, Home Sweet Home, Rural Home, Life is Beautiful and, finally, Homecoming. I chose Homecoming because it's short and it encompasses everything I want to express with this quilt.

I found the freezer paper and a glue stick that wasn't all dried up. I set up my ironing board in the guest room now that the Christmas guests are gone. It ended up in front of a window instead of facing a blank wall and I can't tell you what a nice difference that makes!

I'm using a small red/white check fabric to bring everything together, making several larger blocks, using this as the background fabric. These will all be houses. The smaller blocks will also be hand pieced and hand appliqued and they'll include flowers, stars, birds, sheep, trees, dogs, cats, chickens, the sun and moon, baskets, rabbits, children, log cabins, an American flag and a maple leaf plus others. I'm considering whether or not I want to add an applique border, but I haven't gotten that far yet. Many of the patterns will be from Jan Patek's books and patterns and I'll use others as well.

The first block I made was this one. Only later did I decide to use the red checked fabric for the background. I've put this block aside. I'll either use it on the back or it may become a doll quilt.
House Block 8"x 10"

My applique skills are very rusty (I use needle turning) so I made these two stars.
Stars 5" x 5"

Once I decided on the theme and the background fabric, I made these blocks.

Cat on House Block 10" x 20"
I kept auditioning fabrics and must have pieced each block three times apiece with different fabrics until I was happy with what I had. The patterns are from Jan Patek's book, Angels. And that reminds me; I want to add a guardian angel block to my quilt.

Snowbound Quilt

I made this quilt in 2005 and sleep under it every December. I've just put it away for the year which made me want to make another quilt like it. There are blocks with hearts with my name, my husband's, and each of my four sons. I have four boys sledding and singing carols although my husband said I would never be able to make them wear those silly hats! There are sheep and a rabbit and a dog, all with family stories attached. I had so much fun making it and I was sad thinking I'll have to wait another year to use it again. How fun to make another, one I can use whatever time of year it is!