Books Times Three

  I have kept some photos under wraps for 2 years.  Yes, me, quiet about something for 2 years.  And, boy did it pay off handsomely.  Background notes... I am a member of Kathy Tracy's Small Quilt Talk yahoo group.  More than two years ago she asked members to make some signature and go with blocks that she wanted to use in a quilt for a book she was working on.  I happily sent her two blocks and casually offered to quilt the quilt.  Yep, she agreed.  So I made the backing, adding in all of the blocks that didn't fit on the front.  And, I must say, I felt inspired that day cause I love how the backing came out. 

Here it is on Ruthie during quilting. 

And OMG!  Here it is on the front cover of Kathy's new book nearly two years later. And the full quilt on the inside. Wow!  I feel like I hit a gold mine!  Thanks Cathy for giving me this opportunity.  It was great fun to do. 

If you would like a copy of The Civil War Sewing Circle by Kathy Tracy just visit her web page, Country Lane Quilts where you can order your own signed copy. And go to her home page for information about her yahoo group, Small Quilt Talk.  I am going to enjoy reading the historical information and making several of the small quilts.  I often am a rebel and use bright colors with Kathy's quilts but they all turn out wonderfully! 

Thanks to everyone who commented on the last post here.  There was great interest in the book the scrap pattern came from.  Here it is --

It is Better Homes and Gardens Scrap-Lovers' Quilts.  There are 14 projects in it.  Published by Leisure Arts.  I paid $10.95 for it. It is available from Amazon if you want your own copy.  I was looking through the book the other day to see if there were any other quilts that caught me eye.  Although there were a few others I liked none called out to me to make them the way this one did.    Ok, done with that commercial.  


I am making slow progress on my to do list this week.  Although I did make it to the quilt store Monday.  YIKES!  I did some major damage.  It was hard not to when I could get 40% off fabrics if I finished the bolt.  So, as I was looking through fabrics I found several bolts calling my name -- I answered and finished them off.  The one disappointment was the fabric I bought thinking it could go on the back of the scrap quilt -- probably isn't enough fabric for the backing.  I will worry about that later and try various methods to make it fit!  


Today I am warming up Ruthie and will be quilting a baby quilt.  (now if I can decide on a pattern/style to quilt it!) 


One other thought on books. I just finished a first novel by Alicia Bessette.  I usually read straight romance -- I love a happy ending -- there are enough unhappy endings in the real world.  Simply From Scratch wasn't a romance novel but it was about love.  Zell has been a widow for a year and all the material says she should be getting over the worst of the grief.  But she isn't.  This story shows her love for her late husband and how she begins to move on with her life.  It isn't all love and happiness and darn if there aren't really sad parts in the middle of it where I least expected it.  But in the end, I felt like I had read a love story and there was hope for the future for Zell. I found this book at my public library.  


Enough posting today.  On to Ruthie!  Happy Quilting All.