A Summer of Books

 I'm sitting in the kitchen waiting for little pasta shells to boil so I can make some shrimp salad for dinner. Shrimp salad is a summer favorite around here and summer is all but gone today. I cooked the shrimp and need to peel it. Also need to chop up some celery and onion. A simple and satisfying meal. Maybe I will throw the last of the blueberries into some muffins too! An ambitious feat for me!

This has not been a summer of blogging for me, but it has been a summer of reading. I have read lots of good books this summer and listened to a few as well.

Dragonwyck - Anya Seton

Orphan Train -

Christina Baker Kline

I Am the Messenger -

Markus Zusak

Minding Frankie -  Maeve Binchy

The King's Deception - Steve Berry

The German Suitcase

- Greg Dinallo

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer was my favorite!

I read and enjoy all types of books and must admit that this one sat on the shelf for a long time simply because the name turned me off. Once I picked up the book and read a few pages I was hooked. This is a beautiful book in every respect. It takes place during and just after WWII in Guernsey, in the Channel Islands between England and France. The island was occupied by the Germans during the war and the book describes life there; the hardships as well as the joys. The characters are so endearing that you fall under their spell and feel that you are a part of their merry band. You feel the need to go there and meet them all.
The worst part is when you have completed the book and discover that the author, Mary Ann Shaffer, passed away in 2008, the year the book was published. A great loss for all of us who love this book! We would have loved more from this author.
If you are a Goodreads member you can friend request me and we can share what we read! I love that website!

I have been getting a little sewing done as well, but nothing that I can show, which I feel bad about. I have also been painting and doing yard work, not too exciting, and it leaves me exhausted! It all takes a very long time as I work for a half an hour and lay down for a half an hour. 

Don't forget to check out my Patchalot Patterns Facebook page and please LIKE my page! 

Have a great Labor Day weekend! And put your flag out!

The Joy of Reading

I have spent far too much time playing with my Ipad of late and consequently have not read as much as usual. I enjoy my books too much to let them be overshadowed by ever changing electronic gadgets. Not to say I don't enjoy my Ipad. I do! I also enjoy reading books on it, but it is not the same as gripping an actual book and turning the pages. Plus I haven't outgrown the need to peruse the shelves of bookstores, or scan through the best sellers at Sam's Club or Costco. Many times my husband and I read the same books, and then I often send them to my dad or my children. Good books are meant to be shared! 

Recently I finished reading Dreams of Joy, by Lisa See. This is a great book! Fascinating and frightening in its historical setting in Red China. It follows the journey of Joy, the daughter of Pearl and May in the book Shanghai Girls. You really must read Shanghai Girls first! Lisa See is an American of Chinese descent. Her family's history is amazing (On Gold Mountain) and she draws on this history and their experiences in her writings. I often see books reviewed on blogs that I read, and I find that helpful and enjoyable, so I thought I would add my 2 cents worth.

And then there are QUILT STORIES! I love them! I read two good ones on blogs recently. There are probably lots more out there, but I am not straying very far afield these days. Check these out for good reading, I know you will love them:

• Sweet Home Quilt Company by Melisa Morrison
  
• Bunny Hill by Anne Sutton

Please let me know if you see other stories I can add to this collection. 

And here are those darling twins again. Can you believe how they are growing! Coming up on 5 months old!

What I Read Last Year

In 2010 I decided to write down each book as I read it so I could keep a record. As you can see, I have some favorite authors whose books I read whenever I find a new one, or one that is old that I haven't read. Harlan Coben is a favorite and so is Lisa Scottoline. They both write good mysteries and each has an enjoyable sense of humor, which goes a long way when fictitious people are getting murdered. Michael Connelly also writes good mysteries with interesting characters. Maeve Binchey and Jacqueline Winspear are wonderful, with characters and places that you really warm up to. I highly recommend them both.

 I also really enjoy historical fiction and this year I have had some really good books recommended, or loaned to me, and I would also recommend these to you. I "bolded" the best ones in the list below. I am not sure they all fall under historical fiction, but they were out of the ordinary and very good!

• New York by Edward Rutherford
• 9 Dragons by Michael Connelly
• The Other Side of the Sky -Farah Ahmedi
• The Reversal-Michael Connelly
• Sarah's Key-Tatiana de Rosnay
• Play Dead-Harlen Coben
• The Burning Wire-Jeffery Deaver
• Bad Things Happen-Harry Dolan
• Mistaken Identity-Lisa Scottoline
• I Capture the Castle-Dodie Smith
• 1000 White Women-Jim Fergus
• Daddy's Girl-Lisa Scottoline
• Among the Mad-J. Winspear
• The Faithful Spy-Alex Berenson
• What Matters Most-Luanne Rice
• An Incomplete Revenge-J. Winspear
• The Forgotten Garden-Kate Morton
• The Scarecrow-Michael Connelly
• Heart and Soul-Maeve Binchy
• Caught-Harlan Coben
• The Second Opinion-Michael Palmer
• The First Family-David Baldacci
• Suite Francaise-Irene Nemirovsky
• Messenger of Truth-Jacqueline Winspear
• The Boleyn Inheritance-Philippa Gregory
• True Blue-David Baldacci
• The Help-Kathryn Stockett
• The Lincoln Lawyer-Michael Connelly
• Bone By Bone-Carole O'Connell
• Water for Elepants-Sara Gruen
• Shanghai Girls-Lisa See
• The Lost Symbol-Dan Brown
• Pursuit of Honor-Vince Flynn

I am currently reading Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill. It is a gripping story about a young girl captured and taken on a slave ship to America. It is very well written and extremely interesting, not to mention heartbreaking and touching. If you are looking for a good book, don't miss this  one!

So what have you been reading and what recommendations do you have to share?

BOOK LIST

I love when bloggers come up with their lists of favorite books. It gives me an opportunity to see what others have enjoyed, and that maybe I would also enjoy. Yesterday I saw two blogs who have lists that they created in a challenge to come up with 15 books in 15 minutes. Nicole at Sister's Choice has a list on her blog, as does Cathy at Quilting on Main Street. Cathy mentioned listing books that have stayed with you over time, and I liked that concept, so off I went to come up with my own list. I am sure I have missed a good many books on this list, but I tried to think of books that have had staying power for me over the years. Most of these books are old, but I would read them again! And in some cases I have read them more than once. Some of these books are dear to my heart, some have touched me deeply and some are just darn good stories. Chesapeake is a book that I read years ago, and then when we moved to Virginia I read it again. I love historical novels and this book gave me a wonderful history and background of the area we now live in. If you are too young to remember Michener being on the Best Sellers list you need to go find his books and soak them up. Hawaii was another of his that was unforgettable for me. Many of these authors have several books that I have read and enjoyed. So here is my list--

1. Katherine by Anya Seton http://www.curledup.com/katherin.htm

2. Except for me and Thee by Jessamyn West

3. From Sea to Shining Sea by James Alexander Thom

4. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

5. These is My Words by Nancy Turner

6. Exodus by Leon Uris

7. Roots by Alex Haley

8. Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati

9. Quentins and all Maeve Binchey

10. Evergreen by Belva Plain

11. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

12. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

13. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

14. The Good Earth by Pearl Buck

15. Chesapeake by James Michener

I think I should also do a book list of more current reads that I have enjoyed with some of my new favorite authors. I will try and do that in the near future!

Join the fun and add your list to your blog! Let me know if you do so I can see what books you like!

HAPPY STITCHES

Is everyone getting sick of seeing these quilts? And it's not even Thanksgiving yet! Oh, but I am feeling so happy about getting these done so soon! I actually finished quilting the third one today, but didn't get a photo yet. Not that anyone needs another photo. I wanted to show this top quilt because no one else has made this version, and I think it turned out pretty cute. Oh face it, I love them all!

The second quilt seems to be the favorite version among the photos that were sent to me. I think I am keeping that one! But for now, these two are over at What's Your Stitch 'N Stuff (LQS). They are on display, as they have made up kits.

Did you happen to notice that I finally have my blog title showing in the header? I had not been able to figure that out, and so have gone nameless, lo these many months. Karen, from Sew Primitive, came to my rescue yesterday and put it in for me. She is now the expert, having done a beautiful job on her own blog of updating and beautifying it. Go take a look! Thanks Karen! (Thanks to Angie, the Thread Catcher, also, who tried to explain it to me, but then I got a better offer! What can I say? Take a look at Angie's blog also, and see her new header!)

That brings me to my little string doll quilt, which I have just finished quilting. Remember Dawn and Lucy got everyone going on these little string quilts a while back. There is a link to Lucy for directions on my sidebar. Not that you need directions, but it's always fun to see what Lucy is creating. Anyway, mine is quite a bit bigger than the ones Dawn and Lucy made, but I do like it. Wouldn't it look cute with a shiny orange pumpkin sitting on it? Maybe next year.

I just finished reading The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd, and loved it! I have heard the title going around for a while, then my friend Joan read it and gave it to me with the admonition that I must read it. It is a charming story of a little white girl in South Carolina who is taken in by a family of black sisters in the 1960's during the Civil Rights Movement. That is the stage. The real story is about a girl searching for her mother's love and how she finds it and more in this home. It is very touching. I highly recommend it!

TIME TO UNWIND

Thanks everybody for your nice comments on my applique design. It is always good to know that there are a few people out there who like what I am doing. Usually I spend so much time admiring what everyone else is doing that I have "failure to launch." (Did you see that movie? It was cute!) In other words, I don't get my own projects off the ground. Today I actually got the instructions written! Woohoo! I still need to perfect the illustrations, but it is coming along.

The photo here on the left is of my son and a quilt I made him a couple years ago. It is from Open A Can of Worms, by Debbie Caffrey. That might be my all time favorite book. I have made more quilts out of that book than any other. They are good basic scrap quilts. Great directions, etc.

The reason it came to mind is all the talk about orphan blocks made me think of the back of the quilt. I got a number of uglier than sin blocks in an exchange, and rather than make them into a quilt I used them on the back of the quilt. After I sewed them together with alternating plain squares I started to like them. Fabric is funny that way. You can't look at it too closely, you just have to look at what it does. Well, it was too late for those blocks to become anything but a quilt back. I was anxious to get the quilt done so I did not alter my plan. However, since that time I have had the urge to make those blocks again into a real quilt of its own. Some day maybe I will even do it!

I also got several comments on the books I recommended in my last entry. Wow, I never knew there were so many sicko grandmothers out there in the quilt world! Somehow I feel so much more at home amongst you. I was thinking it was only Kim. (Watch the comment box to see me get slapped upside the head!) Kim cracks me up, but she isn't a grandmother so she is still wound a little tight. Do I think grandmothers are wound less tight? Yes, I do. I think when your kids are gone you can take a deep breath, relax, and unwind. This is really not a reflection on Kim's son, or anyone else's. More a reflection on my own! Look at the young man in that picture. He looks so sweet and innocent, doesn't he? He almost single handedly took the whole family down. I am happy to report that he came to his senses just in time. Happily, that is all in the past, and I never want to wind up like that again. Matter of fact, maybe that is why my life proceeds at such a leisurely pace. Remember that song "Up a Lazy River"? Just the pace of that song says it all!

I started to recommend another book and got a bit side tracked. I just finished Jeffery Deaver's The Sleeping Doll. Another thriller with some great twists in the story. Sickos rejoice-there are always more crime novels than we could ever read!

CHRISTMAS APPLIQUE

Here is my latest project! Remember I mentioned scheduling a class when I had not made the quilt yet? Well, this is it. The center design is from a vintage quilt that caught my fancy, then I added a sawtooth border. I really loved the cheddar in the original and was excited to have the perfect color, thanks to Judie Rothermel's wonderful reproduction lines. The outer border is from Judie's latest Christmas line. There is no cheddar in the fabric, but it looks as though there is a hint and it brings the whole thing together. Next time you are in your LQS take a look at this fabric and see if you agree. This piece is hand appliqued. I kind of got hooked on that after the Home Sweet Home quilt. I am doing another by machine applique because the class I am teaching is at the Bernina shop, A Different Touch, here in town. By the way, the background isn't as white as it appears here. More the color of muslin.

I am still sewing in the DR because I am still without AC in my sewing room and office. I can sit here in the office for short periods of time, but sewing is another story. At this point my repairman is probably afraid to face me. He claims he went to California (3 weeks ago!) and forgot his cell phone. What are the chances?

Meanwhile, I finished a couple of good murder mysteries, An Unquiet Grave, and A Thousand Bones, written by two women who collaborate and write under the name P. J. Parrish. My husband enjoyed them also.

MY HAPPY PLACE

Remember those 9-patches I was making a while back? Well they finally turned into something! Look, a quilt top! I have been planning to make this quilt for the longest time. I saw it in a Quilt It magazine that featured Nine-Patch Favorites. There is no date on the magazine, but I found an ad in it for a 2003 quilt show. So there you go--it takes me a while to do things! I am very pleased to finally have this UFO done to the point where it can be quilted. There are actually several other 9-patch quilts in that book that I would love to make. But not quite yet. I have patterns to create and instructions to write that I have put off for far too long. One thing at a time...at least I am seeing some progress.

I happened to see My Happy Place quilt while cruising through photos the other day, so I popped it onto my sidebar. I thought it would brighten up the place. It is a pattern I designed about a year ago that incorporated a few orphan blocks that I had. Finn has everyone all psyched on orphan block quilts, and it is so much fun to see what people are creating. You have probably seen her new blog, http://orphantrainsfromfinn.blogspot.com/ but if you haven't been there, you need to check it out. Fun stuff!

Last week I mentioned that my Dad was coming to visit, but that is not going to happen now. He became ill a week ago and went into the hospital in Minnesota and ended up with three stints going into his heart. He feels much better now. They have him on oxygen, and he decided that it was too much of a pain to try and come here and have to transfer planes, etc. I agree, especially in light of the problems that can develop while trying to catch a plane, etc. It seems like everyone is having trouble with the airlines these days. So hopefully he will be able to come here in the fall. I am just glad he is feeling better! In the meantime, my daughter, who lives in Atlanta, is coming for a week! She arrives tomorrow, and I am excited about that. I know she hopes to make a baby quilt for her friend while she is here. Lets see what we come up with! For now, I am headed to bed to read for a while. I am half way through Harvesting the Heart, by Jody Picault. She writes good stuff!

NOW I CAN RELAX

Whew, we are feeling the heat here in Virginia! (See my Weather Pixie!) But that is what summer is all about, right? Besides, I am sitting here in my air conditioned home. I only feel the heat when I want to. Yes, I am back from Minnesota. Had a nice trip. Granddaughter #1 graduated from high school--that was the main event. We had a party for her the next day with lots of relatives, friends and neighbors. It was lots of fun to see everyone.

Does the above picture look a little strange? Let me explain. We bought three yards of clear plastic sheeting at Walmart and placed it on the table. Then we took all kinds of snapshots of GD #1 and slid them under the plastic. She was the Belle of the Ball, after all. It was great. People could sit at the table and eat and look at the pictures. If we had scrapbooked all those photos we couldn't have done this! But we were lucky--they were all loose in a box. (OK, I am being facetious.) Everyone loved looking at all the pictures of her growing up. Many pictures also had friends and relatives in them, so that was fun too. (Wow, was I young when she was born!)
I also read a fabulous book that my friend gave me before I left home.
This book, Dark Enough To See The Stars Under a Jamestown Sky, is based on the original Jamestown settlement and was written by a descendant of one of the families. It is written from the woman's perspective, which made it very interesting, since it touched on the concerns and contributions of the women. It was not only illuminating, but touching. I have yet to visit Jamestown, but now when I go I will feel a kinship to the women who actually lived there. We hear so little about them, but their sacrifices serve us all. I was afraid that the story would be too dismal, but the character and goodness of the primary woman in the book was so uplifting. Books like this feed my soul!

NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRESSION

Just thought I would post a little bit about the progress of my "neighborhood". I mentioned previously that after we had each made a couple blocks, my little group decided it would be a good idea to construct the houses, then proceed with the trimming. We thought, and I agree, that it would help us achieve some balance of color, etc. So here is how my blocks look at this point. Three blocks are completed, and all the houses are constructed. The small house needs windows sewn in place, (they are glued now). Except for the small house, all are sewn to a block base. The two center, lower blocks look odd right now because they have lots of trim to be added to fill all that space. But they are all progressing! Can you see that there are two alternating background fabrics? One is the Blackbird Designs Sampler fabric, which is adorable, but I am second guessing myself and wondering if I should have used the background from their "Nell's Flower Garden" line. Decisions, decisions. Too late now, so I will be happy with this. I am excited to see this quilt moving along (because I have so many others pushing and shoving their way to the front of the line!)

Did you see the meme on Yankee Quilter's blog? It also appears on Quilting Bebbs' blog and Clare's blog. (Dordogne Quilter). Probably others, but those are the ones I have seen. It is a list of 100 books. Go to one of those blogs to see it. I have read 38 books on the list. I am interested in the comments on those that I haven't read to see which ones I should pick up. There were a few I have not heard of. Some really good books on that list! Here are a few of my all time favorites that are not on the list: From Sea to Shining Sea, by James Alexander Thom (and everything else he has written!); These is My Words, by Nancy Turner (and also Sarah's Quilt, a follow-up); Katherine by Anya Seton (I should read that one again!). Also, if you are looking for something uplifting and faith promoting with Easter coming up, try The Robe and/or The Big Fisherman, by Lloyd C. Douglas. Two very old books, but well worth reading (try the library). There are so many good books out there! I get caught up in Vince Flynn, Harlan Coban, Jeffery Deaver, Preston-Childs, and I also love Belva Plain and Maeve Binchy. Talk about variety! Never enough time to do all the things we love. But I try, I really do!

LITTLE PINK PLUMPKIN

I don't often post pictures of my family, but I couldn't resist this one. This is my youngest grandchild atop a snow bank at her house in Minnesota. Or Minnesnowta, as they call it this time of year. Doesn't she look like a little pink plumpkin? I love that we can exchange photos so easily by email these days. She will be two years old in May. Look out Patti at Quilting is my Passion and Carol at Brown Quilts (both new grandmothers) these babies don't last nearly as long as we would like.
It wasn't that long ago that my first grandchild was born (pictured in the 2nd photo). She is now almost 18 and a senior in high school. She has been accepted to Brigham Young University and will be on her way in the fall. Does she look old enough to leave home? Was I really that young when I left home for college? It doesn't seem possible. I was a kid when rock and roll was born! Now it is something I do while trying to raise myself out of a chair! Not that I am really complaining. Life has its seasons and I have enjoyed them all and whatever season I am in right now, I am enjoying that too! (I just have to be more careful!)

I thought I would mention a couple of good books that I have read lately, in case anyone out there is interested. I recently finished THE WIDOW OF THE SOUTH. It is a story of a woman in deep depression due to the death of her children. When a general of the Confederacy comes to her door she is told that her home is being taken over as a hospital for the wounded soldiers in her area. It is not her desire to nurse them, but she does what she must, and it becomes a driving force in her life. In the end, she has thousands of soldiers buried in her backyard and she has painstakingly identified and marked each grave. It is a fictional account of a true story. Absolutely amazing.
Another book that I thoroughly enjoyed is PEACE LIKE A RIVER, by Leif Enger. It tells the story of three children being raised by their father in Minnesota during the 1960's. The story is told by the middle child. He describes himself as a witness to miracles that his father seems to perform. The characters in this book are so endearing and well defined. The little sister writes poetry and by the end of the book you are hanging on her every word. This is definitely a book I will read over and over. I read lots of murder mysteries and enjoy them, but a book like this will become a classic in our family library. Let me know if you read these or have read them, and what you think.