Time For a New Read?

Jennifer Chiaverini, the author of the Elm Creek Quilt books, has just came out with another new book, Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker.

 

 

 

This new book doesn't follow the story line of the previous books.  It dips into the Civil War era, as some of the author's other storylines do.  It was The Runaway Quilt and The Lost Quilter that had gotten me so interested in the Civil War. 

 

I can't wait to start reading but finding time to read a book may be more difficult now.

 

Jane

Am I Coming Down With Something?!?

The flu epidemic still persists across our country.  I've been quite fortunate that it hasn't hit our family hard (my youngest has had a low fever a couple of days but I don't know if it is flu related - the flu vaccine may have helped).  But I may have contracted another illness.  I think I may have QUILT POX!!

I think I may have been diseased from my local quilt shop.  I've been hanging around there, perhaps more than I should.  Which isn't a bad thing, right? 

But serious...the quilt shop owner had a website for her shop that wasn't being utilized to it's full potential.  I had been looking for a particular fabric I had purchased in her brick and mortar store.  I wanted to check her website before making the trip, and I found out she wasn't using the "fabric" category of her website.  

So what did I do?  I offered to help her add fabrics into her web store.  I knew that I wasn't the only person who searched for fabrics on the web, and she could profit from that. 

So, as of the last two weeks, I have been diligently been imputting fabric names, desciptions, pattern #'s, prices... into the website.  I find myself in heaven when I'm at her shop because it is MY job to throw myself into all her quilting fabrics!!  And I couldn't ask for a better schedule.  It allows me to choose which days to come in and scan fabric images and gather info on them.  Then I can work from home and be with my family.  I'm only away when my boys are at school, so to them, I'm still their stay-at-home mom.

Sometimes I feel that I've over-filled my plate at times, but it fills good that I am helping out my new boss.  I feel that I am getting something important accomplished.

As soon as I get all the fabrics into the website, I'll be able to share it with you.  Hope it will be soon.  Now...back to work!!!

Jane

Lonely Quilt Gets Recognition

 

My favorite librarian had asked me if I had a quilt she could use in a display at her library a while ago.  She had asked for a lap quilt but I told her that I had a small quilt she could use.  It was the first quilt I had started when I was pregnant with my first son.

sign sitting on top of quilt 

During my first son's pregnancy, I was obsessed with any reading material I could get my hands on- from books to magazines to pamphlets from the doctor's office.  The first book I had purchased was "What to Expect When You're Expecting."  It had become my pregnancy bible.  After reading it every single day, I had noticed the quilt that was on the cover of the book.

The book cover has changed since the one that I had but I believe the quilt in the background is still the same or very similiar.

 

 1986 book cover

 

updated 2008 book cover 

 

At that same time, "Simply Quilts" was still on television and I thought I would make this quilt for the new baby.  So with my novice enthusiasm, I had gone to the nearest fabric store, with my book in hand.  As best as I could, I matched the fabrics with the colors on the book. 

 

But once I got home and had the diamond shaped cut out, I was unsure how to piece them together.  I had decided to hand-piece would be the simplest method to use.  Once I had run out of fabric, I was fortunate enough that it was a good size baby quilt.  But then I had to construct a border.  And lastly, the most complicated part of the quilt for me, at the time, the quilting.

 

finished baby quilt

 

Because of the little mistakes, this quilt hasn't been any quilt competitions.  It sits in the cabinet along with the other quilts that possess prize ribbons. But for the time being, it sits center stage at the library for all to see.  When I see it there, it reminds me that I have come a long way in my quilting journey.  It make me remember where I started and, if I believe and dream big, my journey can become limitless.

 

Jane