This... and the Other

This week... a couple of WIPs are done, and other WIPs made progress. 

This week's best finish is the 36" X 47" improv quilt started in Krista Hennebury's @poppyprint Speed Date With Improv virtual workshop on November 2.

The quilt is comprised of six different improv blocks made from 5" charm squares. After the workshop, I continued to make and add blocks to make it larger than the 20" X 20" intended size. The quilt doesn't have a name.

It's entirely spiral-quilted using three different thread colors... and funnily, I finished-off three spools of thread doing this quilting. 

The backing is pieced from a stashed diamond print, and Horizon, the Kona blue color that's also in the front.

I've also been doing a little garment-sewing, feeling the urge to make something "cute," while reducing stash.

I'll donate these two pillowcase-style dresses to Dress A Girl Around the World, an organization that delivers clothes to children in underdeveloped countries.

I just need to get these dresses to a contact person in either Jacksonville or Orlando, Florida.

If you'd like the tutorial for the dress, go to LBG Studio.

Continuing with WIPs

Here's the latest on my second Yarn Wrapped board. Threads are DMC perle cotton and embroidery floss.

 

My peg-loom selvedge rug is gradually getting longer. It's 24" long now. I'm aiming for 60" long.

I made November blocks for the Seattle MQG's free BOM, Like Totally, designed by Louise Wackerman @imfeelincrafty. These chevrons are the last blocks! 

My Like Totally quilt top is 57" X 57". I already have a wideback at the ready, for sandwiching. This means I have three quilt tops that need my quilting attention. Yikes.

Book Recommendations

After reading the third book (Above the Paw) in the Paw Enforcement Series by Diane Kelly, I decided to read the first book. Ha! The first book is titled Paw Enforcement, and was an enjoyable read. Of course, it laid the foundation for subsequent books. 

Megan Luz is a Fort Worth, Texas police officer who aspires to be a detective. After enduring a difficult male partner, she's presented with a female partner, a German Shepherd called Brigit. Though Brigit may shed, and slobber, and refuse to obey Megan, when it comes to police work, she's the best. And Brigit befriends Blast, a bomb-sniffing dog whose partner is a very good-looking fella on the bomb squad. While Megan and Brigit cover their routine beat through posh neighborhoods and a popular mall, Brigit's nose sniffs out trouble, and keeps them out of trouble.

Linda's score: 4.2/5.0

First Storm is book #2 in the Kaely Quinn Profiler Series by Nancy Mehl.  (Mind Games is book #1),

Kaely's mother, who lives in Dark Water, Nebraska, has cancer. Kaely's brother, Jason, wants Kaely to come before it's too late. She's reluctant to go, and when she does, her mother isn't nice. It becomes apparent that Dark Water has a serial arsonist. Homes have burned; people have died. Kaely offers her assistance, in a sincere desire to find the arsonist, but also to distract her from her relationship with her mother. Even as Kaely's involvement in the case becomes official, fires continue. When the arsonist makes his intentions personal, she's more determined than ever to find him.

Though the serial killers in this series are truly monsters, I appreciate the stories for their clean language, deep emotions, mentions of Kiely's faith, and occasional Bible verses.

Linda's score: 4.4/5.0

If you're on Instagram, you received an email saying that Meta is updating their Instagram terms.

Instagram is also eliminating the ability to follow hashtags. Add to these changes the platform's use of AI, incessant advertising, suggestions of other accounts to view, and the fact that quilters are posting less often, it's enough to send quilters like me to another app.

This week I joined BlueSky and am already finding my peeps. It's free, and there's no advertising!

I also like that the platform allows me to block single posts that contain personally offensive language. I just add those key words (swear words, political content) to my "I don't want to see that" list, and those posts don't even appear in my feed. Lovin' that feature!

Still, it has a bit of a learning curve. 

If you decide to join BlueSky, please look for me, and I'll do likewise.

On Friday, a friend and I had the pleasure of playing our ukuleles for 72 widows at a local church. The occasion was their annual Thanksgiving luncheon. (I got to enjoy all the good food too!) They seemed to enjoy singing along with us: This Little Light of Mine, This is the Day the Lord Has Made, and Sunshine, You Are My Sunshine. 

My thank you gift was a lovely card, and this "blessings bracelet." As I wear it, each day I'm meant to assign to every bead something I'm grateful for. With Thanksgiving coming soon, I will definitely do so!

It was a good week. Linda