books, books, books
I did get some sewing done this weekend. And, here's a hint...
But, the stars did not align for finished pictures, so I've decided to share some books with you with a little giveaway too.
I've been reading a lot, all the sudden. You know how that'll happen in spurts.
These books each found me, quite unbidden, through friends and book club and such. I finished "Sarah's Key" by Tatiana De Rosnay well ahead of our book club meeting. It's a very emotional read for someone with young children, but time well spent. I picked up "The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food and Love" on Saturday night and I'm already more than halfway done - it's just such a fun, fascinating peek into a life I can almost imagine enjoying. "Raising Elijah" is a look at the environmental crises by a mother and ecologist whom I respect.
And then there are the books and binders of curriculum I'm reading in preparation for school. Aria's first grade year of homeschooling will begin the 2nd week of August. I've received all my supplies and done a good bit of preparation, but there's still plenty to do. These are a few "extras" with inspiration for working with yoga, art and knitting. I can't believe she's going to be knitting! But on the other hand I totally believe she can do it. Crochet comes so much more naturally for me, but knitting is recommended as a first experience for children. She's already learned to finger crochet and use a knitting tower. We're excited!
And here's one for you! I received an extra copy of "Block Party: The Modern Quilting Bee" by Alissa Haight Carlton and Kristen Lejnieks. Would you like one?
You should say "Yes". For sure!
As a member and facilitator of do. Good Stitches {a virtual charity bee} I was excited to see what this book had to offer. It's definitely a keeper.
The book chronicles all 12 months of the Block Party quilting bee, sharing inspiration, fabric and color choices behind each quilt's design, specific directions for making each quilt and mini interviews with each bee member.
How fun to see familiar faces of folks whose books and blogs I've enjoyed. Very inspiring stuff!
July is my next opportunity to lead a circle of do. Good Stitches in designing the quilt for the month. I was already thinking circles, but now I've got a definite plan inspired by the August quilt in Block Party:
I love the large rectangle blocks and gray background, but I'm going to make some changes to the quilt size and colors with a boy in mind.
If you're involved in a virtual quilting bee, you should definitely find a way to get your hands on this book. Sometimes planning a collaborative quilt can be tricky. More often than not, I think the danger is for your vision of the quilt to be too tiny, to narrow to allow for the creativity of each member. Block Party is a great resource for stretching the mind with new possibilities. If I wasn't already in a bee, I think I'd be running off to join one now!
There's also a very comprehensive how-to quilting section at the back of the book. Like the 30 pages kind of comprehensive! Besides the basics you need to know to finish a quilt, there are ideas I haven't seen presented like this page on "freestyle pieced backs" and examples of straight-line quilting designs. I'm still reading through this part. And learning! Sometimes I don't put enough thought into these details because the quilt top features so prominently in my mind. I'm appreciating the inspiration here very much.
How to win!
I'm wishing I had a load of these to giveaway, but alas I have just the one. To put your name in the hat, please leave a comment sharing your feelings about crochet (do you know how, do you crochet much, is it an interesting craft or... not). Because I happen to be curious. This giveaway open to residents of the US only. I'll draw the random winner on Wednesday!
Good luck! Comments now closed.
But, the stars did not align for finished pictures, so I've decided to share some books with you with a little giveaway too.
I've been reading a lot, all the sudden. You know how that'll happen in spurts.
These books each found me, quite unbidden, through friends and book club and such. I finished "Sarah's Key" by Tatiana De Rosnay well ahead of our book club meeting. It's a very emotional read for someone with young children, but time well spent. I picked up "The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food and Love" on Saturday night and I'm already more than halfway done - it's just such a fun, fascinating peek into a life I can almost imagine enjoying. "Raising Elijah" is a look at the environmental crises by a mother and ecologist whom I respect.
And then there are the books and binders of curriculum I'm reading in preparation for school. Aria's first grade year of homeschooling will begin the 2nd week of August. I've received all my supplies and done a good bit of preparation, but there's still plenty to do. These are a few "extras" with inspiration for working with yoga, art and knitting. I can't believe she's going to be knitting! But on the other hand I totally believe she can do it. Crochet comes so much more naturally for me, but knitting is recommended as a first experience for children. She's already learned to finger crochet and use a knitting tower. We're excited!
And here's one for you! I received an extra copy of "Block Party: The Modern Quilting Bee" by Alissa Haight Carlton and Kristen Lejnieks. Would you like one?
You should say "Yes". For sure!
As a member and facilitator of do. Good Stitches {a virtual charity bee} I was excited to see what this book had to offer. It's definitely a keeper.
The book chronicles all 12 months of the Block Party quilting bee, sharing inspiration, fabric and color choices behind each quilt's design, specific directions for making each quilt and mini interviews with each bee member.
How fun to see familiar faces of folks whose books and blogs I've enjoyed. Very inspiring stuff!
July is my next opportunity to lead a circle of do. Good Stitches in designing the quilt for the month. I was already thinking circles, but now I've got a definite plan inspired by the August quilt in Block Party:
I love the large rectangle blocks and gray background, but I'm going to make some changes to the quilt size and colors with a boy in mind.
If you're involved in a virtual quilting bee, you should definitely find a way to get your hands on this book. Sometimes planning a collaborative quilt can be tricky. More often than not, I think the danger is for your vision of the quilt to be too tiny, to narrow to allow for the creativity of each member. Block Party is a great resource for stretching the mind with new possibilities. If I wasn't already in a bee, I think I'd be running off to join one now!
There's also a very comprehensive how-to quilting section at the back of the book. Like the 30 pages kind of comprehensive! Besides the basics you need to know to finish a quilt, there are ideas I haven't seen presented like this page on "freestyle pieced backs" and examples of straight-line quilting designs. I'm still reading through this part. And learning! Sometimes I don't put enough thought into these details because the quilt top features so prominently in my mind. I'm appreciating the inspiration here very much.
How to win!
I'm wishing I had a load of these to giveaway, but alas I have just the one. To put your name in the hat, please leave a comment sharing your feelings about crochet (do you know how, do you crochet much, is it an interesting craft or... not). Because I happen to be curious. This giveaway open to residents of the US only. I'll draw the random winner on Wednesday!