What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

The past few weeks have brought a lot of reading time with cold temperatures and some rainy days perfect for escaping into a story. Time for a good book chat! Amazon links provided for those who want more information. Thank you for using my links when you can. They help to provide a small commission to pay for the costs of writing and publishing this blog.

The Dressmakers of Prospect Heights by Kitty Zeldis – At its heart, this is a story of family, both of blood and choice. Set in the early 1920s, with flashbacks to earlier decades, three women ...

Now that we are fully into the holidays, I like to read sweet stories with happy endings set during the yuletide season. I began reading holiday books a bit early this year so I would have some reviews to share with you now. Most of these are quick reads, light stories in easy prose, with enjoyable endings.

A Sea View Christmas by Julie Klassen – Set during the Regency period of the early 1800s, Sarah lives a routine life of running the bed and breakfast that her family estate has become to make ends meet. Scottish widower Callum visits, but goes ...

Let’s have a book chat today. Once again this time, I have a mixture of non-fiction and fiction. There are only four books on the review today because two were more than 500 pages! Amazon links are provided in case you want to read further synopses. Thank you for using my links when you can. I’ll start with the non-fiction, with a wonderful book for sewists who desire to put more of their own design into their clothes.

Building Patterns Ultimate Guide to Designing Clothing Patterns by Suzy Furrer – The book begins with a chapter of pattern making ...

Time for a book chat! Seems like I’ve been reading a lot lately, and a couple of these really captured my interest. There is a lot of non-fiction in this group. So grab a cuppa, and let’s chat about books today.

Claire McCardell : The Designer Who Set Women Free by Elizabeth Evitts Dickenson – or click On Audible and use your member credits to get it. Do you have a garment in your closet with pockets? How about a pair of ballet flats? Do you own a pair of denim jeans? If so, you have this pioneer of women ...

Time for some book reviews and discussion of what we are all reading. I’m finally getting used to the blasted daylight saving time, and my morning reading time is once again enjoyable. I’ve had a bit more time to read lately as well, so we have more books than usual for a book chat day. The first book on the list was found at the 25-cent shelf at the library. I am such a fan of Masterpiece Theatre, I had to get it.

Making Masterpiece: 25 Years Behind the Scenes at Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery! on PBS by ...

I’ve had a bit more time for reading in the morning lately as I slowly adjust to the bloody time change. The weather is finally nice enough to enjoy reading in Carolina room like we did after the hurricane while the power was out for days. The room still looks like this, as I haven’t yet moved all the plants to the veranda. So, it is a nice place to read with the windows open in the afternoon. This month’s book selections have one non-fiction and two fiction. Links to the listings on Amazon are provided so ...

It has been a fairly good month for books and reading. Nothing as outstanding as Presumed Guilty that I reviewed last month (February Books). Still a couple were worth my reading time, but one was wall banged. I haven’t read as much since Daylight Saving Time has stolen an hour from me in the mornings, but I am slowly getting through the books I’ve borrowed from the library. It has taken weeks to read just 4 books, and I am still working on the fifth one. As usual, I have linked to Amazon so you can read more ...

Reading this past month has been up and down. Two of the books were recommended on a previous Virtual Retreat when we were talking about what we were reading. Today’s post will begin with the one I didn’t really find that good, although romance lovers may like it. The books will follow in the order that I liked them, with one that is highly recommended and the last one which is spectacular. Amazon link ares provided so you can read the novel synopsis and see more details.

My Heart Will Find You by Jude Deveraux – Billed as a ...

Reading this past month or two has been a mixed bag. Two books were meh, one not my cup of tea but others may enjoy it, and only one to recommend. Links are provided for some to Amazon so you can read the full synopsis.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley – This book was recommended by an employee at our local used book store, and she was so effusive in her praise I decided to get it without checking out the reviews. In my quest to find stories to read that are unusual, the book jacket synopsis seemed to ...

It has been months since I talked about books. It doesn’t appear that I have read as much as usual, and I think I have forgotten to review a few that I did read in that time. One book took over a month to finish due to its length. Then, during the hurricane aftermath, I had nothing new to read as I had finished the books checked out of the library, and the plan was to take them back on that Saturday and pick up more. But, it was another 3 weeks before I could do that, so I ...

Today, I hope you will enjoy a review of some previous projects and ideas, mainly involving handwork. I enjoy doing embroidery by hand, and working with wool fabrics. These projects are easy and finish quickly with no raw edges to mess with. Read on for a fabulous giveaway today!!

Wool projects seem to have more appeal in the fall. I do more pillows in wool than other projects. For the Cornucopia Pillow wool work project, you’ll need a 12-inch square of wool in a base color, and scraps of fall inspired colors for the fruits and vegetables. The design ...

A foggy morning last week gives the early hours an ethereal quality. I like the silence it brings as even the birds take a pause from their daybreak choral performance.

The Japanese word shinrinyoku for ‘taking a forest bath’ again comes to mind. The filtered light has a soft quality.

These turkeys came by on Monday, right before the tree guys showed up.

Gracie came by for a meal, too. Here’s your squirrel fix for the week.

Remember the lemons I had on the counter for the idea of bringing summer inside?

I decided to use them to begin ...

On the veranda, the parsley survived transplanting and I’m already using the leaves in dishes. In fact, I have been actively looking for dishes that will highlight the fresh flavor they give to meat entrees and vegetable sides.

Turning the pages in the World in a Skillet cookbook from Milk Street (now on sale for $23.95), I came across this mouth watering photo. That is cilantro in the recipe, but fresh parsley works just as well. It is mixed with green onions, jalapenos, and rice vinegar. The fresh green mixture is a garnish and not cooked. I decided ...

Moving to Daylight Savings Time has put a real crimp in my reading time. Now it is an hour later when the sun is coming up, so I don’t have that quiet hour I like to have in order to read while having my morning coffee. So, the fiction reviews may be a little thin this month, but I’ll make up for that with some great new publications I just got in ebook form from C&T, also available in print versions. Links to Amazon for the fiction titles, and C&T Publishing for the quilting and stitchery ...

I’ve been reading a fair amount, but overall, these past few weeks of books were disappointing. Many of the touted books failed to live up to the hype, and a beloved series goes a couple of books past its expiration date. Here’s my list for this month, with links for Amazon where you might want to read more on the synopsis, or find out if you can get it on your Kindle. Thank you for using my links when you can.

The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni – This book started out with so much promise – a fascinating puzzle ...

I have nothing to talk about right now, as everything ground to a halt this past week. My Sweet Babboo came down with covid, and has been confined to the house. This meant we had to miss two holiday events, and postpone dinner with friends. He has a mild case, just a stuffed up nose, some muscle aches and tiredness but no fever. When he tested positive, we immediately separated ourselves from each other. I have tested myself every day that I wanted to leave the house to be sure I was negative before seeing other people. Other family issues ...

This time of year, as the weather cools off, days get shorter and a warm fire is often a part of an evening at home, I want to read cozy novels with heartwarming characters, light situations and happy endings. I’ve been Christmas reading for you, dear readers, and some of these books just published in late October. I was able to read those pre-publication, and have collected them all up for you now, along with some other wonderful stories published before this year. Affiliate Amazon links provided for all the ones I recommend so you can read the publisher ...

Although I have been busy with many projects, my early morning reading time is still my favorite time of day especially when I am enjoying a good book. Cool mornings with a hot cup of coffee and the quiet of the early light is relaxing. Only three of my last eight have been winners, though. But these three are well worth your reading time. Two are published and available in audio form, the third will publish in October. Links to Amazon on the ones I recommend are provided if you’d like to read more of the synopsis and other ...

I’ve just finished a couple more really good books that I want to share with you. I’m also repeating a couple of reviews that I did prior to the book’s publication date, and two that I just have to mention again on a dedicated book review post in case you missed them buried in a chat post. Read on, there’s a giveaway today too!

The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan – Historical fiction story of overcoming the austerity of rationing in 1941 England. Four women of disparate backgrounds enter a cooking contest to get the most of ...

It is another quiet weekend with lovely cool mornings spent on the veranda, a nice place to read while enjoying the quiet and a hot cup of coffee. Sometimes it is hard to get going with it being so nice outside as it is so tempting to linger a bit longer. The haze from the Canadian wildfires hasn’t been too bad this week, and it is mostly cleared now with a southerly wind pushing it back north. In the garden, my pretty day lilies are starting their blooming season. These flowers only bloom for one day then fade. I ...