Quilts, Books, Book Club, and More News

My Little Red Ridinghood quilt is completed. It is hand embroidered and hand quilted. I used 1918 Redwork patterns and 2019 fabrics by Riley Blake. I am eagerly awaiting Riley Blake's new fabric line Dorothy's Journey featuring the Wizard of Oz!

My weekly quilt group has decided on doing a group quilt project. We are making blocks for a teapot quilt. My block is hand appliqued.

My weekly quilt group had the challenge to bring in your first quilt. I brought in my second quilt, in which I used my mother's painting smocks.

I have two quilts hanging in the Blair Memorial Library. Morning Glory is hand appliqued and hand-quilted, my second applique quilt, from a Quiltmaker Magazine pattern. It used hand dyed and commercial fabrics.

Years ago I signed up for a block of the month to make a bed-sized stained glass look quilt. I only finished six blocks! So I made this wall hanging now in the library.

Our library book club's June book selection was The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash. Wiley visited our group via Skype. Everyone enjoyed the book and learning the history of the Loray mill strike. It was especially interesting to hear Wiley talk about how a writer creates a compelling narrative out of historical fact. Read my review here.

The Troy, MI library hosted Drew Philp for his last author talk before beginning a new job and writing project. Drew's book A $500 House in Detroit drew a good audience of people who were fascinated by his story. Read my review of his book here.

My husband ordered me a book for no reason except he thought it would appeal to my interest in history, biography, and the history of cooking. Abraham Lincoln in the Kitchen: A Culinary View of Lincoln's Life and Times by Rae Katherine Eighmey is enjoyable to read--and it has recipes.

Since I last shared my TBR shelf it has grown! 

Wickwythe Hall  author Judith Little, a novel set in 1940 based on history 

14th of September  from author Rita Dragonette, a novel set in 1969's antiwar movement 

Country by Michael Hughes from LibraryThing, the Illiad reimagined in Northern Ireland

Threads of Life: The History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle by Claire Hunter, the history of how women expressed themselves through sewing

The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen from The Quivering Pen blog debuted at number two on the best-seller list!

 This spring we are feasting on the lettuce we grow in our garden.

And the enjoying the beautiful flowers, like the Pink Drift Roses below.

and the little teacup rose that I thought would die outdoors but which is brimming with flowers.

Our lavender and daylilies and hydrangeas in bloom.

Our grandpuppy Ellie had her six-month anniversary since adoption and the end of puppy mill life. She has really blossomed! We puppysat her and she spent the day snooping the yard hoping to scare up the rabbit she had seen last time. She was rewarded--before she went home she got to chase the bunny.

The bunnys were back the next day.

A Gifted Quilt, My WIP, and Garden Views

Last week at quilt group Theresa shared her redwork quilt wall hanging. I told her it needed to be in my kitchen--and she gave it to me! We have a teapot and teacup theme in the kitchen. so it looks great.

I have been working on A Tisket, A Tasket from Anne Sutton. I have a few applique pieces to do, and then will be embroidering. Shabby Fabrics included the pattern in their latest catalog!

When I was putting the blocks together I pulled out all my polka dot fabrics!

 The embroidery will add loads of details.

 My poor birdie will get a beck soon when I start the embroidery!

The apple trees are loaded with fruit! And one has a Robin's nest in it. The male Robin is keeping the squirrels out of the tree, so perhaps fewer little apples will be stolen.

My husband's rose garden is blooming. 

He always wanted a rose garden like his mother had, and started one after we retired into our 'forever' home.

He has been moving the Stella d'Oro lilies from the front yard in preparation for the landscaping that will be done in a few weeks. We are getting a Crab Apple tree and hydrangeas and roses and other lovely plants! Below is the designer's plan!

Soon my hubby will be out of commission for many weeks. He is having knee replacement surgery! (Guess who gets to water that new garden...) His orientation with the physical and occupational therapists was at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. It was my first time there.

There is a lovely area with comfy chairs and tables. The photo below shows the living green wall of vegetation.

 I saw art in the hallways, including this painting of the Mackinaw Bridge.

 Strait Groovin' by Lind K Shinkle Rodney and Theodore M. Shinkle.

I was surprised to see this art with all kinds of dogs!

 It is a tribute to Josephine Ford.

 It was a hazy day but we had a nice view of Detroit.

Father's Day was also my 46th anniversary. Yikes! I am feeling old!

I will soon be sharing photos of my Bronte sisters quilt which I finally began working on a week or so ago!

My Regency Redwork Pattern is Featured in Willow and Thatch's Gift Guide!

Regency Redwork, inspired by Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

I was contacted and told that my quilt pattern Regency Redwork is part of  the 30 Lovely Jane Austen Christmas Gifts guide of etsy items from Willow and Thatch. You can see the guide at http://ow.ly/rKbw306AMAw

Willow and Thatch is a website dedicated to period films and costume dramas including Materpiece Theater, BBC, and period movies.They love all things antique, vintage; farmhouse and country gardens; and traveling to places inspired by period film locations.

Elizabeth and Charlotte

I based my Regency Redwork quilt on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, using many of the same patterns developed for my Pride and Prejudice storybook applique quilt. I have been selling both patterns on Etsy for several years. Read more about my applique version at http://ow.ly/aV7T306AMuk
 

Mr Collins greets Darcy

Bingley asks Jane to dance

Darcy hands Elzabeth a letter of explanation

Lydia with soldiers

My patterns were taken from copyright free illustrations and art contemporary with Jane Austen, including dance manuals, illustrations, and drawings.

Other items in the gift guide include jewelry, wall hangings and textiles, cookie cutters and recipe cards, tote bags, dolls, paper products, cards and jumping jacks, shower curtain, Kindle cover, calenders, clothing, candles, and craft patterns.

My etsy store is found at http://ow.ly/jyas306AMXu
The name of my store is explained at http://ow.ly/dDSU306AMPs

I am honored that my pattern was chosen to be highlighted.

Shirts Into Aprons, A Patriotic Redwork Quilt, And A SwissAir Hanky

I have joined a group of quilters who meet weekly at the Senior Center. There. I admit it: I am going to the SENIOR center!

The ladies bring machines and hand work of all kinds. There is a show-and-tell and we lunch together.

This week recent widow Joyce explained how she was turning her husband's shirts into aprons. The first one she made is going to her husband's sister. Joyce conceived the idea and worked it out herself.

Joyce wearing her shirt apron and holding an apron made with jeans

 As you can see in the photograph above, Joyce cuts the sleeves off the shirt, but leaves the collar and also the back yoke intact. She cuts along the double seams wherever possible for a finished trim.

The back of the shirt is cut out. She layered the shirt, matching the side seams, and cut the back out. For smaller sized shirts she does not cut along the side seam but adds a few inches along the side; for large shirts she can cut along the side seam. The back of the shirt makes bias binding to encase raw edges. The sleeves are turned into the tie closure.

Joyce also showed us the aprons she makes with jeans.

Theresa brought in her first Redwork project for my closer inspection. She had it at her talk at the Clawson library a few weeks ago. It is hand quilted, too.

George Washington

John Adams

James Monroe and Liberty Bell

 

I loved the Swiss Air hanky I bought a few months back and have been looking for the other three in the set. I now have the Japanese one!

Here is the first one I found: