Stoneworks Quilt

I saw this quilt on display and fell in love with it immediately. I bought the kit, and actually made it pretty quickly after I bought it. Often my kits sit around for years while more pressing projects make their way to the forefront. Although I love the look of "scrappy" quilts, I don't like making them. I worry about color placement and balance. This quilt had a mix of random placement and some exact placement. I enlisted the help of Trish and Audrey to help me make sure everything came out balanced. 

The designer modeled the pattern after some mosaic tiles she saw in Italy (the floor tiles in St. Mark's in Venice). The design was beautiful, but I didn't feel the pattern was executed very well. It was a good thing I'm an experienced quilter, or I may have thrown the whole project out the window in frustration. 

The fabric was from the Stonehenge collection by Northcott Silk, and it was a dream to work with. The feel and look of it was luxurious. I forget how much I like Northcott fabrics. 

When I finished the quilt, I decided I wanted Valerie Cutrer to quilt it. I knew she'd do it just right, and she did. I just got it back, and I love it. I hope you can see some of the quilting in the bottom two pictures. She quilted each of those small squares individually, and it really enhances the idea of the tiles.

I've got a new - to me - camera. A very nice one. But I'm having problems learning how to use it. I was so disappointed in the pictures of my last quilt. These are a little better, but I've really got to work on getting used to this camera. (In all of my spare time).

Quilt details:
Pattern: Stoneworks by Ann Anderson Designs
Size: 94 inches by 94 inches
Fabric: Stonehenge Collection by Northcott Silk, Inc.
Finished: February 2011

The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

Book 3 in The Queen's Thief series.

I'm going to the store and buying these books. I want to go back to page one of The Thief, and start all over, trying to catch more of the subtle hints and pieces of the puzzle.

I'm on to Book 4, and I can't wait.

The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

Heart-stopping, intriguing, twisting, turning, it was a book I could not put down.

The Queen's Thief series (this is book 2) by Megan Whalen Turner is outstanding. The writing is impeccable, and the story ever-engaging.

Blog Comments

Most bloggers love comments. What they also love is to be able to reply to the comments they get. It's disappointing when I try to reply, and no-reply comes up as the email address.

It took me a long time to figure out how to change that for myself, and I ran into this quick little tutorial on how to do it:

No Reply at Pleasant Hill

Just click on that link, and it will tell you how to do it. It is about a 30 second process. It will be fun for you to know the comment you made was read and appreciated. Just like it's fun for me to be able to reply to comments.

I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg

Fannie Flagg caught me with Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, and I've enjoyed her books ever since. Some I liked better than others, but I liked them all.

I Still Dream About You is just what I needed to read right now. I was hooked on the story from the very beginning, and it made me giggle. Like I said, just what I need.

It all concludes pretty quickly, but that was okay for me this time. The epilogue wraps up all the loose ends, neat and tidy. Also what I need right now.

If you're looking for something to relieve your boredom, distract you from your cares, or is just plain fun, try this book.

Baby Quilt

Michael and Lindsey are having a baby any day now. In fact, she's due on my birthday. I secretly waved my magic wand in hopes that she'd be born on my birthday. It's such a great day to have a birthday! I went to a baby shower this afternoon, and gave her this quilt that I whipped up this week (it pays to have some fun fabric in your stash).

Completed: January 21, 2011
Size: 36 inches by 45 inches
Pattern: Roman Squares

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

We went to see The Glass Menagerie last night. I haven't seen it in years and years. I kind of recall seeing it performed on television - maybe CBS Playhouse or something like that - with someone(s) famous. We usually see musicals or more comedic fare than Tennessee Williams. So what did I think of it?

Wow. I was lost (in a good way) in the language. Beautiful, concise, writing that I savored. In a way I wanted my DVR so I could go back and replay choice bits. But of course the beauty of the performance is that it is a play.  And I thought the acting was good.

If you live in the Salt Lake area, I recommend it. It's playing at the Grand Theatre (the former South High, now SLCC campus). Tickets are cheap, and last night the theatre was nearly empty. Too bad, because it is well worth seeing.

Sunrise

This was the view from my desk Tuesday morning at about 6:45 a.m. Those are the Oquirrh Mountains across  the Salt Lake valley from me. This picture doesn't really do it justice - it was truly beautiful.

A nice way to start the day.