Friday, December 29, 2017

One Quilt Plus Four Other Finishes in December

This little quilt made from leftover blocks is the very last finish of the year for me.  I stitched the binding today and it now only awaits a wash and dry. 


It's already dark so the photos are with a flash.  Even if I'd finished it earlier I would have needed a flash because we've had such a grey day.  (Love those grey days.  No kidding!)  And it's snowing now as I get ready to post this. 


The quilt measures just 41½" x 54¼" (before wash and dry) -- a little quilt just big enough for a baby, or maybe the top of a table, maybe big enough to go over one's legs for warmth.  I used leftover Cream Rose batting and Americana thread. 

The quilt looks crooked below but it's the angle of the photo.  (If people are born with photography genes, I didn't get any.)  When I see photos of a finished quilt I notice things I didn't when it was in progress.  Like, maybe I should have arranged those blocks a little differently, or maybe the sashing should have been wider/narrower/another color; etc.  But it's done and I'm happy enough with this little quilt.


My other finishes this month were books and, sadly, not quilts.  They were books.  Four books in a month is a record for me.

This first books was one I noticed on a shelf of Christmas books at the library.  It looked light, simple, and Christmasy.  And it was short:  just what I needed after plowing through American Grit for a month.  Away in a Manger by Rhys Bowen takes place in New York City in the early 1900s.  The heroine, Molly Murphy, discovers several supposed-waifs begging in the street.  It doesn't take her long to realize that they hadn't always needed to beg and determines to learn their situation and story.   This was a cozy mystery, a genre new to me -- or at least the name of the genre is new.  Other authors include Agatha Christie, Daphne du Maurier, Mary Steward, Jacqueline Winspear, and plenty of recent authors who are new to me.  I recommend this book as a fun, fast, light read.

Next I read The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin, also the author of Better Than Before, a book about habits.  She discovered the tendencies while researching how people created habits and discovered that the way people respond to expectations can be grouped into four different categories, sometimes overlapping.  They are upholder, questioner, obliger, and rebel.  You can read a little more about the tendencies here.  I found this book really  helpful in understanding my "rebel" husband.  She also offers an online quiz to learn your own tendency. 

Then I moved back to fiction and read Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate in less than a week.  This story was inspired by the Tennessee Children's Home Society scandal of the early 1950s.  The story is told in the first person by two individuals:  Avery, a 30-something daughter of a N.C. senator whose father and grandfather had been senators; and May Crandall, a resident in a nursing home.  Avery meets May when she attends a birthday party for a 100-year-old resident.  May greets Avery and walks away with the dragonfly bracelet Avery's grandmother, Judy, had given her.  It happens that Judy is also in a nursing home struggling with memory loss.  When Avery returns for her bracelet, she visits May and becomes aware of a possible connection between May and Judy.  May's story of her childhood was sad and sometimes horrible but the resiliency of the human spirit wins out.  I loved this book. 

Wonder by R. J. Palacio is the last book I finished this year.  It is about a boy who was born with some genetic that caused his face to be malformed.  It was told in the first person by the boy, August; by his sister, Via; Via's boyfriend, Justin; and several of August's classmates.  It’s a story about seeing past appearances; about accepting others and being kind; about bullying....  You may have seen a preview for the movie but based on the preview, I think the book is better.  It was definitely worth my time to read it.

I'm linking this post to
> Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts
> Finish it up Friday at crazy mom quilts
> TGIFF at Kathy's Kwilts and More
> Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
> Show Off Saturday at Sew Can She
Thanks for hosting, ladies.

--Nancy.
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24 comments:

  1. It is a beautiful little finish, Nancy! Will certainly be appreciated wherever it finds a home.
    I confess, I too enjoy grey days. They are cozy feeling to me--unless I have to be out in them. :)
    I appreciate the book reviews. Always good to get suggestions about authors I haven't read.

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    1. Thank you for your kind comments about this quilt, Janet. There aren't many of us who like grey days so I'm pleased to find a like-minded quilter.

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  2. You make the Binding today....wow...i like your Quilt! :)

    Have a nice day and good wishes for the new Year
    the Nähbegeisterte

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    1. Thank you, Näh begeisterte. Happy New Year to you, too.

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  3. Your finished quilt is beautiful. The different reds and the design give it such a comfie, warm feel. I, too, read “Before We Were Yours” and loved it. I really like the name of your blog, too. :)

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    1. Hi, Ramona. Thank you for your kind words about my quilt, and for your positive comment about the name of my blog, too.

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  4. I LOVE the quilt..perfect for Christmas. Make have to make one of my own but will definitely need to make a practice block so I don't forget. You really like gray days? UGH! We've had them for the past several days and it depresses me.

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    1. Thank you for your thoughts about my quilt. I really do like grey days but I will admit that after we've had 3 or 4 weeks' worth, I like them less.

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  5. What a nice small quilt (great size to have around sitting areas!), and all from left-overs. Can't get more perfect than that. :) I love reading. Wonder and Before We Were Yours are both in my bedside stack!

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    1. Thanks, Lynette. I love leftovers and scraps and sometimes hesitate to cut into whole fabric (though I always overcome that hesitation to make a quilt!

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  6. P.S. Hey, Nancy, are you on Goodreads?

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    1. I'm not on goodreads though I sometimes look at reviews there before deciding whether to read a particular book. I hope you enjoy both books.

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  7. Such a sweet quilt! And thanks for sharing your book finds! You should check out Gretchen Rubin's podcast, Happier.

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    1. Thanks, Ashley B. You're welcome for the book "reviews." I have heard about Happier but have not yet listened. One of these days when I'm cutting quilt pieces or hand quilting, I'll try to remember to do it.

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  8. A lovely little quilt. I'm busy reading too, thanx for the reviews. And best wishes for the New Year.

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    1. Thank you, Linda. I hope you have a Happy New Year, too.

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  9. Love the colors in this sweet little quilt. Congrats on your finishes.

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  10. What a satisfying finish. It's just such a cozy little quilt. Your color schemes are so soft and comfortable feeling. I've got to take some lessons because that is exactly the effect I want to produce but I end up with fabrics that shout instead of whisper.

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    1. Thank you, Robin. I enjoy the colors I use but sometimes I wonder if they're a little too "timid." (So I don't think you should think about taking any lessons from me if you want to change your colors.) Truly, I love the colors YOU use and have never thought of them as shouting -- just as vibrant and full of energy and fun. I especially like the colors on your recent applique blocks.

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  11. Love this quilt! What is the name of the block? Thanks for the book reviews, I have been thinking about getting the book “Before We Were Yours”

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    1. Thank you, Rebecca. I made up the block so it's not a traditional, known one with a name. I call it "red wings diving to stars" (I keep seeing red birds diving to the center). I think it might be considered a variation on Sister's Choice. I often looks at the reviews on goodreads before deciding whether to read a book but I didn't for Before We Were Yours. I really enjoyed it.

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  12. Beautiful quilt you finished, I love the pattern. Thank you for sharing your reading, I have added several to my wish list to read in the future.

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    1. Thank you, Christina. Whichever books you've added to your list, I hope you enjoy them when you read them.

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I appreciate your comments and look forward to reading what you have to say. Thanks for stopping by.

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