Quilting Happiness (Weekend Reads)

Isn't this the best title for a quilting book? I know it goes without saying for most of us that quilting makes us happy. But it can also frustrate, intimidate, and suffocate. Even I know that. So I'm pleased today to be sharing this book,  Quilting Happiness, written to bring even more joy to your quilting.

Christina Lane and Diane Gilleland have done a wonderful job capturing the happiness quilting brings - from the creation to the giving, from sewing something you love to sewing for others. And there are patterns.

Two things make this book stand out - Creative Exercises and Happiness Practices. These one pagers are littered throughout the book, leading the reader through some personal reflection. Asking the reader to examine their own inspiration, habits, and joy is a wonderful way to get us to stop and reflect on quilting. Sure, we all want to barrel through to the next project, the next stack of fabric, but taking a moment to pause and examine the practice of quilting for us as individuals is worth more than cutting up fabric.

Seriously, I mean that. 

I, myself, have stopped to examine my practice as instructed in the book. For instance, they describe a Morning Seeing exercise. In this you write down what the first five things are that you see every morning for a month. In doing so you can pick out the patterns, pay attention to the routines you have, and train yourself to be an observer. Me, I'm a bit of a pessimist so I always see the mess first! That means I've been tidying more before bed and it makes my morning more positive. Which makes that creative time for me more productive and peaceful.

And there are patterns in the book - large quilts, mini quilts, and small projects. The instructions are detailed and leave nothing to question as far as I can tell. Christina is a stickler for details so this is not surprising. I've made one project inspired by a quilt in the book. And that chevron pattern pictured above is next on my list.

I will say that I wish a quilt book could be written without patterns though, because I think the strength of this one in particular lies in all the non-pattern stuff included. A book focused solely on creative exercises and personal exploration for the quilter could be quite intriguing. There is a lot of that in this book and for that reason I would recommend this one, even if you never made a pattern from it.

Checkerboard Chillin'

Remember when I was setting my goals for the year? Well one of them was to finish all the quilt tops in my closet. That's a lot easier when you actually remember all the tops you have. Seems I forgot this one. Oops.

Measuring at 60'' by 60'' it isn't a huge top and I can manage to quilt this at home. I even have batting cut for it already.

This is my version of the Checkerboard quilt from Sunday Morning Quilts. When I went to make it at some point after the book came out I decided to control the colour scheme. So I raided all my turquoise, purple, grey, and white scraps. From these I cut all my 2 1/2'' squares. There may have been some stash raiding to finish up the quilt. Shh. It is smaller than that original, however. Partly because of the fabric limitations and partly because this has to join me on the road and the big quilts take up a lot more room.

Seeing as I have another trunk show in a few weeks I might be motivated to finish this up and reveal it then.

One of the things I love the most about this quilt is the way it comes together. Amanda Jean wrote the pattern so you are making it one row at a time. And you press to one side as you go. Then you just flip over every second row. Your seams nest and it comes together as a top in no time. It still works as a leaders and enders project.

Make sure to check out the book for detailed instructions, including the cutting requirements for a larger, twin sized quilt.

Pressing Issues

Some people think in the shower, others on a long walk. Some like to talk it out with a friend or partner. Some others like to turtle under and not think about things. Me? I iron.

Truth be told, I don't like to iron my clothes. My sister and I had this as one of our chores when we were growing up. My mom made us iron all the t-shirts too. Our clothes looked great, even if they smelled like smoke. Now I iron clothes only when necessary.

But pressing a quilt top or readying a back for basting is my go-to task when I have something to sort out in my brain. Whether it be bringing swirling ideas together or planning a difficult conversation, the repetitive nature of pressing, with accompanying steam facial is the means by which I can often formulate my thoughts.

I've got a lot to sort through this week, anyone want to bring some blocks over?

Second Person Singular (Weekend Reads)

There comes that moment in a book store when you hold a few books in your hand and all look good, but you need to pick something for the mood or moment you'll have. It feels like so much opportunity, so much pressure. Pick the wrong book and your bedtime reading is too intense or so boring you have no choice but to sleep. Pick the right one and you are entertained and engaged but not dumbed down. Pick the wrong vacation book and you've got serious problems.

Confession: I grabbed this book entirely because of the cover. But we all know you can't judge a book that way so I took the time to read the first few pages before buying. In those first few pages I was drawn into the character and the writing. I thought I was drawn into the story then, but oh how things changed. After a long build up of character the story really begins. And it was worth reading to get there.

Second Person Singular by Sayud Kashua is an incredible compelling story of two men. They are both Arabs living in Israel and their lives intersect in a completely unexpected way. That being said, they both have insecurities and identity conflicts that should drive the reader to annoyance. But the writing is so eloquent, funny, and captivating that you can't help but root for these men. At least for them to find the peace they seek. It isn't a political novel full of statements about settlements and Palestine, but it would not be the story it is without the men being Arab in Israel. The commentary provided but this fact is integral to the characters. And for the reader whose never been to this part of the world and knows most of what she knows from the news it was fascinating.

I had the fortune to read most of this book on a recent vacation. There I am on a beach in Mexico completely engrossed in a story about men in Jerusalem. With a mystery to the story and such characters it was the perfect book. My bookstore moment, unlike the one that kicks the mystery into gear in the story, was fortuitous.