A tiny little embroidery project to finish the day đ
From the Little Stitches book of embroidery designs by Aneela Hoey
….and now you also know what I am reading! What are you reading this week and what do you use for a book mark?
Book Coach, Editor, Author
A tiny little embroidery project to finish the day đ
From the Little Stitches book of embroidery designs by Aneela Hoey
….and now you also know what I am reading! What are you reading this week and what do you use for a book mark?
Last January I posted my about word for the year: PLAY!
So, in the spirit of that resolution, I spent almost my entire April allowance on playful inspiration: books!
I want to knit something bigger than a sock or a hat, but I know myself…I will make the front of something, or a sleeve, and then put the project away. Why? Because I just hate sewing the seams. I actually have an entire knitted sweater – front, back and two sleeves sitting in my basket. It’s been sitting in my basket since…um…gah! I am embarrassed to say it: about 1998. Needless to say, it no longer fits. But the yarn is good! It was expensive! So I’m in the process of unraveling the entire thing so that I can make something lovely with it. Knitted tops with no side seams! Yay!
Prairie Children and their Quilts because I love anything to do with history and story-telling, and I’ve also become fascinated with miniature quilts. AND Mastering Quilt Marking because I want to expand my hand quilting beyond using purchased templates. I’d love to quilt some of the beautiful, intricate feathers & fans etc. I have the skill to do the hand quilting, but lack the technique of how to get the markings onto the quilt top. Maybe I can practice on a miniature quilt! Boo yah!
Bread from Sourdough to Rye because I’ve been given the wonderful gift of heritage Yukon sourdough starter (read all about it here – it’s a cool story!) and I’ve been experimenting with baking bread. This book also has breads from all over the world, from challah to chapatti! And The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook by Jaden Hair because I follow her blog, which is all about yummy Asian-style cooking. (And Jaden is also a quilter, so duh….)
And then BONUS! Look what my extraordinarily fabulous son of mine sent me for Mother’s Day!
All the indoor rainy-day bases are covered! Over the next couple of months I’ll be saving my allowance for outside play…new hiking boots and a day pack.
A spending allowance is built into our retirement budget.. I’ll post about it soon!
How did you spend your allowance last month?
I put a call out to my Facebook peeps for book recommendations, and the author Juliet Marillier was recommended. The library only had one book on the shelf, Heart’s Blood. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop.
Juliet Marillier writes Historical Fantasy. This is a new genre for me. I have never been a big fan of “traditional” fantasy…you know, castles and dragons and magical swords (outside of Tolkien, that is). But historical fantasy? Wow…I’m hooked!
Marillier’s books take place in ancient 8th and 9th century Ireland, when Christianity was fairly new to the island. Many people still followed the old ways and worshiped the ancient gods & goddesses.
Marillier herself is a member of the druid order OBOD (The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids), so she writes with authority on druidic spirituality and belief.
…her spiritual values are often reflected in her storytelling â the human charactersâ relationship with the natural world plays a significant part. Julietâs novels combine historical fiction, folkloric fantasy, romance and family drama. The strong elements of history and folklore in her work reflect her lifelong interest in both fields. However, her stories focus strongly on human relationships and the personal journeys of the characters.
After I finished Heart’s Blood , I found the first book of the Sevenwaters Series, Daughter of the Forest. Like Marillier, I also am fascinated with folktales, and I was delighted to discover that Daughter of the Forest is a loose re-telling of the German folk story the Six Swans.
Now here is an odd thing: The Okanagan Regional Library System only owns the first, fourth and fifth books in the series, which I find very odd! However, I am an intrepid library patron, and pursued books two and three through the inter-library loan program. Son of the Shadows and Child of the Prophecy both arrived a couple of days ago and are due back in less than three weeks. Both of them. No renewals allowed on inter-library loans. Guess I better get reading!
I was completely enthralled and eagerly let myself be led back through the mists of time to a place where Gaelic mythology comes alive. If you are looking for something to read while waiting for the snow to melt and the crocuses to bloom, I highly recommend Juliet Marillier.
What are you reading this weekend?
 Â
Â
I like to read. A lot.
I stumbled on this FREE e-book on Amazon today. I think I’ll download it for a little Sunday R&R this weekend.
Combines three things I love: books, quilts and FREE! Hard to beat that, eh?
Carly rushes off to Bilby to return the cursed quilt, and then surprises herself; she stays. She rents a cabin, gets a job, and meets an artist who shows her new ways to look at life, and love. Can she run away and start a new life, or should she go back and stitch her old one back together?”
One of my favourite Sunday morning things is to sit and daydream on the couch for an hour or so before I start my day. I’ve always done it, but now that I think about it, I realize that it has become a ritual that I’m nearly religious about! Two cups of coffee or tea, house coat, hair uncombed, teeth unbrushed…I sit and let my mind wander freely. Sometimes I browse creative websites and let my mind roam among the images and words of others as though I were in a museum…admiring, enjoying and then moving on to the next. I walk through dream gardens, dance dream dances, build dream houses and decorate dream rooms.
This morning I’ve taken down a handful of quilting books to browse through. Creating beautiful quilts in my mind. Daydreaming of beautiful fabrics, colours, and patterns.
What do you daydream about on Sunday mornings?
I have just discovered something very cool… The Blogger’s Quilt Festival! This is a huge linky party and there are prizes and everything – I am in heaven! I am going to join! It runs from May 18th to June 1st. Check it out!