Easy Street Progress

I'm doing Bonnie Hunter's (Quiltville) new mystery Easy Street. I have decided to make only half the units, as I'm not sure if I have enough of the right colours in the stash.

I also just converted the size Bonnie said the quilt will finish into centimetres.
If I was making all the units, this quilt without borders would measure 213cm square, with borders 260cm square! That is one big quilt, so I'm glad I'm only doing half the units!

So here is the progress I have made so far, the first two clues done. If you want to see some of the others doing the Mystery, Bonnie has a 'Linky' of other bloggers here for you to have a look. The first 'Linky' had 239 blogs link up! I wonder if there will be that many this time.

This are the flying geese units & rectangles from clue 2

Four patches, these were clue 1

I have also been working on sewing together the units of the Red/White quilt I started at the Quilt retreat last weekend. Don't they match my Bernina nicely ;-)

Red/White blocks

Just finished reading Jennifer Chiaverini's latest 'Elm Creek' novel, 'The Giving Quilt'. I was pleased there wasn't too much repeating of the info from the previous books in this one. A few new characters are introduced and it will be nice to see them in future books. This book was a bit different too, as there was some of the 'unpleasant' aspects of quilting written into the storyline. 

Some Books and Blocks

What a mess! I’m sure it was only a couple of posts ago I was saying how good Oscar the Cat is at not playing with my blocks when I set them out on the floor! I think someone must have told him about that as he made short work of messing these up! Oh well at least its only 9 blocks and a few sashings, not too much to fix.

I have been doing more reading than sewing lately and thought I’d share. The first is the latest in the ‘Stephaine Plum’ series by Janet Evanovich. These are so funny you really do laugh out loud as you read. If you haven’t read any start with the first ‘One for the Money’.
The book in the centre is ‘The Devil’s Puzzle’ by Clare O’Donohue who writes quilitng murder mysteries. I think this is about the third in the series and they are not too bad, kind of like the ‘Midsomer Murders’ TV programme but it is centred around a quilter and her boyfriend who is the local Sherriff.
And with all the Titanic things on TV lately I thought I’d read a book about it too. I haven’t started this one yet. But I did listen to an interview with the author recently and he was very interesting so I’m hoping the book is too.

Of course I had to get out a couple of ‘quilty’ books too .  These are all Public Library books (I love the Library, especially searching the catalogue online).

I should be cutting fabric…

…for the retreat this weekend, but instead I have been reading!
Yes reading is my other love, and I usually get my books from the Library.
(This is so I have more shelf space for fabric )

The first book I’ve been reading Is Jennifer Chiaverini’s latest novel ‘Sonoma Rose’. This is set in the era of Prohibition in America. I did enjoy this but am I the only one who gets annoyed when so much of a book is going over ground we have already covered in previous books? I would estimate that a third of this novel is going over back stories you would already know if you have read the previous books. I know there is a trend to make each book ‘read alone-able’ but this can get annoying if you have read the others!
Anyway I would still recommend this series, they are a quick easy read. I read somewhere the other day that Jennifer Chiaverini is contracted for another three ‘Elm Creek’ books, so I wonder if she will take a break then or come up with another series altogether?

The next book is one of many too, ‘The Scottish Prisoner’ by Diana Gabaldon. I’m just under half way through it and really enjoying it. I’m glad to say it doesn’t rehash all previous books . If you have never read any of Diana Gabaldon’s novels I’d definitely start at the beginning with ‘Cross Stitch’ or ‘Outlander’ (same book different names in different countries).

And in other book news we had some VIP’s at school today so I got them to autograph some of the library books.

All Blacks- Israel Dagg, Zac Guilford & Jerome Kaino with the books they autographed for me.

Why I haven't been sewing lately...

WARNING NOT A LOT OF QUILT RELATED INFORMATION!
Since I few people have been asking me what I've been sewing lately?
ie Why haven't I been posting quilty things on the blog?
I thought I'd show the other stuff I've been busy with. In my other life (work!)
The last few weeks have been taken up with dreaming, planning, ordering, taking down and putting up new shelves. So here's the 5 steps to a new look Library.

NB: I had help putting up the shelving from Jeannie* (National Library) & John* from
Keri Keri (both of them are camera shy). Jeannie is a new quilter too!

*Thanks heaps guys it wouldn't have happened without all your help!

1. You have to take books off the shelves! There were piles like this everywhere!

2.  Take old shelving down.
 (thats the old shelves leaning against the counter, see the empty wall they have came from)

More piles of books and the all the letters. 

I did have to leave a little room so I could use the computer when needed!

3. Next open Hundreds lots of boxes of new shelving.

4.  Assemble shelves. 

5. Add books!

New face out display for Junior Picture Books

Quick Reads. Love the bins that hold complete book sets.

Senior Fiction. Face out display is so more appealing than 'spine'.

 Now to make it quilty I grabbed out some quilt related books. Did you know there are a lot of pictures books with quilting/patchwork stories? They make great gifts to give kids, with the quilt you have made for them.

Still have some things to tweek in the Library, but as most of the work is done now, there might be some sewing in my future!

Sneak Peek!

I've finished covering some new magazines & books for Whangarei Patchwork & Quilting Club's next club meeting, so I thought members might like a wee peek. These will be on the stage with the request book, so if you see something you like remember to sign yourself up for it. 

(Remember you can click on the photo to get a bigger picture)

Quilters Tee-Shirts

The other day one of the online quilt lists I belong to, were talking about quilt tee-shirts. There was a link to a online tee-shirt shop  cafepress. Go and have a look there's some really funny ones. Below are a couple that I liked.

 

The Aloha Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini

I'm just about to start reading 'The Aloha Quilt' it's the latest 'Elm Creek' quilt novel. Here's an excerpt from the Elm Creek website about the books.

"In most of the books, the main character is a master quilter named Sylvia Bergstrom Compson. She and her young friend Sarah McClure open a quilters' retreat at Sylvia's family estate, Elm Creek Manor. Sarah and Sylvia run the "quilt camp" with the help of their friends, the Elm Creek Quilters. Other books are historical, featuring Sylvia's ancestors and earlier residents of the Elm Creek Valley."

If you haven't read any start with 'The Quilter's Apprentice'. I think its best to read them in order. As well as the novels, there are Elm Creek quilt pattern books so you can re-create quilts from the novels. In the latest NZ Quilter magazine Issue 71, there is sampler quilt on page 7 made from one of these books.

The public Library here in Whangarei has all the novels, so put a request in. See my previous post about the Library, and requesting books. Remember if you borrow the book from the Library, you can save the money you would have spent for fabric, and some of your book shelves can became fabric shelves!

The Public Library

Did you know the Whangarei Library has heaps of quilting books? Over 200 when I did a search. That was using quilting in the search box, but try other things like patchwork,textiles and embroidery etc, and you will find more again.

The only problem is everytime I went to the library, the books I wanted were out, or at another branch. So I now order them online using the library website.

Its really easy to use their website, and when you search the catalogue a picture of the book is shown too. (see above) You can request books on the website and the library will sent you an email (if they have your email address) or a letter to say come and pick them up. You can even ask them to buy a book, and then you get it first!

A tip for using the search, if you want to see the newest books, sort them by "Publication date" (see picture below), it's on top right hand side of the catalogue search. Then you will have to go to the last page as they a listed from oldest to newest.

If you have favourite authors, check out their websites to see when their next book is coming out. You can then request it from library, before the library buys it, and be the first or second to get the book. I do this for the crime and mystery novels I read it's great.

These books are usually "best sellers" that you hire for $2 or $3, but the library always has another copy of the same book for free borrowing. SO when you are requesting a very popular book just be careful to request the free one.

Websites shown at February Meeting

Bonnie Hunters website http://www.quiltville.com/ is one of my favorite sites, it's one of the sites that I spoke about at our last meeting (Feb). If you haven't had a look at it yet go now... maybe get a coffee first as you will be there a long time. It's packed full of great articles, patterns, tips etc

This website has wonderful machine quilting, there are free designs to download and dvds to buy. Have a look Patsy Thompson Designs.

Our Merchants from Feb Meeting were Kerry Glen of Tulis, & Mary Metcalf of Kiwiquilts, check out their sites and order more fabric if you didn't buy enough last month!

Great Book

This is the new Karen Eckmeier book Layered Waves. It has very good instructions and great step by step photo's I'm sure it's going to be just as popular as her other books, Happy Villages and Accidental Landscapes.

There are allsorts of curved blocks in this book, below are two, Log Cabin and a Rose.This book will be on the new book table at the March meeting of Whangarei Patchwork & Quilters. Check out Karen's website by clicking on her name, there's plenty to see there.