Book Club

Remember me telling you about the amazing book I read, The Elegance of the Hedgehog?  Well, our book club met here for our discussion on a late Sunday morning.  So I served a le petit dejeuner for the occasion.  It was a lovely occasion and discussion with 10 people here.  We ordered fresh baked croissant from an amazing bakery, Bread and Butter, and served them with fresh jam.  Of course, you don't put butter on a croissant I learned!  We had some fun macaroons, all the rage right now.  Add some French soft cheese, real hot chocolate made from scratch with shaved chocolate and real milk, Perrier, coffee, fruit and almonds.  It was lovely.  I even made some Hedgehog cookies from a recipe I found on the Taste of Home website.  I took a picture but can't seem to transfer it from my Iphone!  A great time was had by all.  At least half of the women have spent time in France and said they felt like they were there for breakfast.  That's quite a compliment!

Purse pattern

This is a great new bag pattern I bought at the Road to California Quilt show in January.  I have a fabulous burgandy velvet brocade I think I will use for it.  Now I just need to track down some fancy handles and I'm set to sew.  I just love making bags, used to call myself the bag lady.  It's time I had a new one!

Pillowcases

These are some fun and easy (but very retro) pillowcases I made a dear friend for her birthday.  We are part of the world of RV's now and need some fun things for our home away from homes.  I picked up these kits at a great little quilt shop in St. George, Utah, the Lazy Daisy Cottage.  They have the directions tucked inside for making the "taco" or "hot dog" method of pillowcases.  It's pretty slick because you end up with all french seams!  Here's a close up of the retro fabric.

I just love it!

Fun, New Book

My daughters gave me this fun book as part of my birthday present.  They know I adore anything "Audrey".  My Fair Lady, Roman Holiday, and Breakfast at Tiffany's are among my favorite movies of all time!  So it's fitting this book is on my bookshelf.  It's one of those easy books to pick up, read a chapter, put down, and get back to a month or so later.  The author, Pamela Keogh, includes Audrey lessons on love, dating, beauty, style, raising children, creating a home, travel and success.  It's also a biography.    It's just a fun book!

A Quilt notecard

I'm trying to send more letters, cards, notes and thank you cards this year.  I just don't think anything is better to pick up from the mailbox than something hand written.  I've been going through my extensive stash of cards and ran across this one.  I thought you would enjoy it. 

I bought these at a small shop somewhere in Kansas a few summers ago.  The picture is a reproduction of "The Quilter", a handmade block print by Laura Wilder!  It just makes me feel good to look at t his.  There is a website listed on the card back, www.laurawilder.com if you want to take a look.

Winter Wonderland Quilt

I finished this quilt in December (I think) but just remembered to blog about it.  It's all hand embroidered.  It's a Crabapple Hill pattern, cost $39 I think but worth it.  I worked on this during our summer travels while driving or during the evenings.  I just love hand work and this was a lovely project.  I love all the different stars in the border, too.  I passed on the pattern to a friend in our sewing group, don't see any reason to make another one of these.  There were quite a few of these at our 2011 quilt show so it was a popular project.

March UFO

This is from the same pattern used in my February UFO.  I love the pink and brown together.  Here's a closer look at the blocks and prairie points.

Again, the only thing I bought was the background.  I really think the brown check is fun and adds more dimension than a tone on tone in cream or white.  This is also up for donation when the time is right -- although one of my daughters has her eye on it!

State of Wonder

This was a recent book I finished, seems I haven't taken time to read very often lately.  Not too much time to quilt or sew either, spending all this time on exercise!

This book is Ann Patchett's latest novels.  I've read mixed reviews of it.  I tried to read her best seller, Bel Canto but could never really believe the plot.  Now, this one is very different and at times hard to follow.  But I liked Dr. Singh, the main character.  Her adventures in the Amazon jungle are intriguing and a very different life than most of us experience.  She does triumph in the end.  It raises many questions and quandries about medical/pharmaceutical research and the Hippocratic oath.  In the end I thought it was worth my time and it was a glimpse of a different world and life.  And to me, most of the time, that's what reading is all about!