Reading 1820 Blogs Daily!


January 10, 2024
Coconut Drop Dead from Ramblings of a Fabric Obsessor

 *I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for my honest review.*Lyndsay Murray is still running her Spice Isle Bakery and trying to grow business and the Caribbean American Heritage Festival is looming. Luckily after the last installment, the bakery is going to be a vendor at the festival and get more business. And then there is a murder at

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January 9, 2024
Blockheads Update from Moda Lissa

New Year, New Projects or in this case a continuation of last year’s Blockheads 5. Each blockheads series I struggle with what my setting is going to be. While I think I am one of those go with the flow kind of gals, I know I suffer from paralysis from analysis.  Knowing what the layout is, does influence the fabrics you are using in your blocks or at least the color placement.

Do you struggle from this also?

This is the newest block to start 2024 off with a bang. The block is from Sherri McConnell of A Quilting ...

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January 8, 2024
Quilting and Stitching Updates, Shopping and Reading from Canadian Needle Nana

A Healthy and Happy New Year to you all! I hope 2024 will be good to us all.

Do you believe in angels? I've read more people believe in angels than God these days. And I've also read over 80% of us believe there are things which science or nature can't explain. Interesting. This was one my ex found in the house we shared and gave it to me this Christmas. 

During the holidays I read Prince Harry's book Spare.
 Since I love the Royals, I thought I owed it to him to read his story ...

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December 20, 2023
People to Follow from Ramblings of a Fabric Obsessor

 *I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for my honest review.*The cover on this novel is so very misleading! Ten teen influencers sign on for a reality TV show where they are cut off from the rest of the world on a secluded island and recorded non stop. But the watches they are given as gifts are actually linked to production. And

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December 19, 2023
Lost Hours from Ramblings of a Fabric Obsessor

This is such a great series! It is not a watered down cozy like some authors write. I highly recommend all of the books in this series!*I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for my honest review.*Beth is settling in well in Alaska in the 5th installment of this series. And after a woman is found who claims to have been kidnapped, she is

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December 11, 2023
Canadian December, Christmas Patchwork Diamond Quilt Begun from Canadian Needle Nana

It's looking a lot like Christmas here and the kids got a snow day last Monday. We've broken a former record for how many hours straight it had been snowing -59. And it does feel like it has been snowing for days, just lightly but no sun. Our world is a post card like black and white winter one. Ned loves sniffing all the obvious tracks that now we can name as the usual visitors...squirrel, turkey, bird, fox, etc. 
The trees in the front area of the house are huge. See 6ft 4in Tony with Ned?

I ...

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Decluttering continues from Crazy Quilter on a Bike!

Hmmm --- where was the lightbulb moment last night? We opened the door to Day 10 on the EXIT Game Advent Calendar and figured out what to do with all the pieces (or so we think!). Now, how do we interpret those pieces? We left it - I was going to go back before bed but didn't, so I'll try again today. We may need to look at the clues, but I think we will need all three before this is solved! Some days, the puzzles are tricky, and some are not! 

I stopped at the library the other day ...

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November 27, 2023
Appliqued Needlebook, Music, What Could Have Been? from Canadian Needle Nana

 I'm not the only one who likes whimsy...We found this little item at the base of a very large tree on one of the public trails back in October. I thought -wish I knew who put this here...perhaps I'm missing out on a friend.

Still enjoying playing around with what I would like to stitch for the Bramble Blooms QAL. I got out several of my books to look through for inspiration and to settle myself down to a colour theme as well. For instance, I love Tilda's Fan Flowers and wonder if I could ...

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November 19, 2023
Sunday Stash November 19, 2023 from Quilt Paint Create

No change in the numbers, a miracle considering all the opportunities I had to buy fabric this week.

I had a Guild meeting yesterday and the free table was bursting with books and magazines. There was also a buy a bin for $1 sale. This is what I brought home, although I often look at the magazines and take them back. I only pulled out a couple things for a closer look.

The quilt pattern came from the thrift shop. I took a chance because the package was taped shut, but it looks like I scored the entire pattern. It ...

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November 12, 2023
Bramble Blooms QAL, Books, Binding Sewing from Canadian Needle Nana

I've been on a biography binge lately. I read both these books below many many years ago but enjoyed rereading them. I admire both women's work very much and it is always interesting to see what folks will share in a biography/journal style book. Both write with a similar frankness about their lives and there the similarity ends. Nuala O'Faolain once famously described herself as being "a nobody from a long line of nobodys" and May Sarton- ahh, what to say about May. I carried a line of hers in my head from when time was ...

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November 8, 2023
What's Happening from Collector with a Needle


It was such a fun and busy year!  
We love helping other people have fun too.  One of our favorite things is wrapping and helping give gifts - just let us know with your order and we are happy to wrap and enclose a card on your behalf!


Of course the year kept us busy shipping books - and talking about them!

Several online and in person programs - with more coming up.  We added the calendar - in very limited quantities.  It will not be re-printed.  Link below.



  We are so thankful for connections around the world who have been so enthusiastic and ...

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October 26, 2023
Celebrate with Quilts from Moda Lissa

In the heart of every quilt, there lies a story. It whispers of patience, creativity, and love stitched meticulously into every seam. Susan Ache and I celebrate our new book, Celebrate with Quilts for this very reason. We both make quilts to captures the essence of celebrations and wanted to share a resource to be able to make a quilt exactly as featured in the book but also a design book to create your own variation.

Quilts hold a special place in the realm of gift-giving. They are more than just pieces of fabric sewn together; they are tokens of ...

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October 22, 2023
Palm Readings, Plus Quilt, Blooming Trees from Canadian Needle Nana

 Yesterday was a middling day with no appointments and drizzling outside making it gloomy inside. My mind was all over the place and I felt like I accomplished only odd bits and pieces here and there all day. Like I played with things rather than getting down to working. Sometimes a blank day is a good thing to have and other times it becomes meandering, missing some drive, so that I get little done. But all that matters less as a retiree as no one is depending on my "work".

However I did have a little sort of work recently ...

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October 20, 2023
The New Mother from Ramblings of a Fabric Obsessor

Published earlier this year. 4 stars *I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for my honest review.*A new mother is being gas lighted by her neighbor who doesn't want to be married anymore. None of the characters are particularly likeable. And I didn't feel like this was even a thriller. More like a drama. But the story unfolded nicely

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Hard Dough Homicide from Ramblings of a Fabric Obsessor

 Catching up slowly!! *I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my honest review.*Second in a series and I felt like it was just as strong as the first. A Caribbean bakery in Brooklyn, NY trying to find it's place amongst the other bakeries. Lyndsay has plans for the bakery as far as production and meals and catering down the road, but when a

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October 16, 2023
Quilt Binding,Cross Stitch, Animals in the Garden from Canadian Needle Nana

 I photographed this fellow from my usual lookout spot... the kitchen window. He was checking out the bird feeder area and on high alert all the while. He looked well fed and had a beautifully coloured coat that shone in the autumn sun.

I noticed all the little critters immediately disappeared. The only birds that hung around were the Blue Jays and they kept squawking at him. Then I saw this...a Chipmunk taking cover inside this fir bush. 

It was cute how he kept poking his head in and out (reminded me of that Whack a Mole game) checking ...

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October 6, 2023
Farmhouse Animals with Flowers from Made By Marney

My newest table runner has 4 adorable paper pieced farm animals wearing flower wreaths.

My FARMHOUSE TABLE RUNNER pattern has all 4 animals included and the directions to make the extra long farmhouse ruffle. This table runner has no quilt batting. Instead I used fusible T-shirt interfacing to keep the table runner nice and thin and flexible.

All of the block patterns are also sold separately. BUNNY WITH FLOWERS.

HORSE WITH FLOWERS
CAT WITH FLOWERS
PIG WITH FLOWERS

These blocks also make lovely pillows…

Although the pillow directions are not included in the pattern, they are available in my book ...

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October 5, 2023
{I've Been Reading} Downpour from Michelle's Romantic Tangle


Downpour by Christopher Hawkins

Have you ever gotten a splinter from a rotten old bench or fence post?  That's what this book is like, in the best possible way. Downpour tells the story of Scott, a man who was trapped in a rotting farmhouse with his family even before the rain started eating away at the shingles and boards or changing the living things unlucky enough to be caught outside in it. I read this one straight though. It's a relentless slow burn that I didn't want to put down. 



Let Him In by William Friend 

Hart ...

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September 23, 2023
Cheesecake, EPP Hexie Love, Gold in the Garden from Canadian Needle Nana

 Cooler temperatures, 5C on my walk this morning but warming to 15 the weather forecast has promised, and just like that I'm thinking of heartier fare. But first I need to catch up on the cakes...recently Beth made the birthday folk here a beautiful New York style Cheesecake with Strawberry Compote.  The cake had 5 ! packages of cream cheese in it and was the most sumptuous cake I've ever eaten. It was silky and so delicious. And Tony finished off the compote over a little ice cream. 

I loved the colours here below...the wild Goldenrod which ...

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September 15, 2023
This and That from Quilts....etc.

A little of this and a little of that and progress was made.  I find it hard to concentrate on one project.  I normally start my day reading a bit and then move to hexies or knitting – sometimes both, then the sewing machine in the afternoon.  I have been listening to another of Karin […]

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