Simply Done
Oh, I’ve always loved a curved block! I had the opportunity a few years ago to attend a small workshop on curved piecing and–wait for it–I got it!
Of course, I haven’t done anything since with it, but I love the Apple Core Pattern, and many others. In fact, when I went looking for templates, I found an old internet acquaintance who took over the template business of another well known quilter.
Check out the Gallery! Doesn’t it get your creative juices going?
I got hooked on word games on my phone during Covid, but the one that’s lasted the longest (and I now pay for it, $34.99 a year and worth it!) is Squardle
Find words by connecting letters in any direction.
Squares fade out once you find all the words using them. Find all the words to clear the board!
Although you can play for free, the best part of paying is the archives and the weekly challenge–often 100 words or more! We play the long archive games while waiting anywhere, but especially at the airport.
I’m an avid reader. I prefer contemporary fiction, but read anything that strikes my fancy.I can’t remember all of the authors I’ve read, but I’ll start by listing those I’ve binge-read, working my way back through the years, starting with the ones whose books I reread: M.M. Kaye (everything, multiple times), Colleen McCullough (everything), Mary Stewart (everything, multiple times), Rosamund Pilcher (September is my favorite, The Shell Seekers is a close second and I read them both every few years), Elizabeth Gilbert (everything, several times). Barbara Kinglsolver’s books fascinate me, especially the saga of “Turtle”. I loved Andy Weir’s The Martian and Hail Mary (read that one twice, watch The Martian movie regularly). Wool was an outstanding book but I haven’t seen the series.
I was really taken with the movie Me Before You, and wanted to read the book, which was exactly like the movie, something I didn’t expect. But Jojo Moyes followed that book up with two more, following the same character, and I couldn’t read them fast enough. I enjoyed Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies, and read a few more of her books.
I’m not a Book Club follower; I prefer recommendations, or browsing the library shelves (in person and digitally).
I read so much that I don’t have a TBR pile or list. Genres I don’t read: fantasy, fan fic, historical, memoirs (except for Elizabeth Gilbert), gritty reality (lived it, don’t need to read it). Biggest pet peeve: books written in first person. Most authors, in my opinion, don’t write it well. When I get sick of how many times they start a sentence with “I _____”, the book is closed and never opened again. I much prefer third-person-deep.
What are your reading preferences? Favorite authors? Genre preferences? Best book you’ve read in years?
Sewing and Quilting friends, THIS IS THE BEST! Oh, it comes with a long story involving my efforts to make the hubs comfortable, which paid off for me, too.
After only a day in this new chair, he insisted I needed one, too. I balked, happy-ish with my old chair.
It took me WAY TOO LONG to realize I’ve been uncomfortable in my old chair. The mesh seat was too stiff, so I’d added a “purple pad” seat cushion. This year the back was bothering me, which means MY back was bothering me.
The hubs nagged, “Try my chair. You won’t go back!”
After a few weeks I gave in and after one day I wished I’d bought this thing years ago.
We found these at Sam’s Club, because that’s what’s available to us where we are now, but I know Costco has them and when we get home, we’re going to have to check there, also.
Why this works: padding galore; it reclines so well that I read in it at night, with my feet propped up on a small homemade ottoman. I actually think I like this better than our new recliners.
If you know me at all, you know I’m passionate about ergonomics for sewing and quilting. I’ve revised my book: Sew & Quilt in Comfort, which is free across many platforms: Apple Books, Amazon, Google Play, Kobo
I’ve switched fro using vinyl to cover the foam of my table. I now use contact paper and I love it! It’s so much easier to access the bobbin are for cleaning now.
There’s nothing more rewarding to someone like me, who puts everything in their work, to receive a note like this one:
Hi Marguerita,
I have been wanting to thank you for writing Crazy Shortcut Quilts. I bought your book years ago before I learned to quilt. Because of your book I have a passion for quilting. I am so blessed to have found something that brings me so much joy. It is an excellent book for beginners. Since then I have advanced to longarm quilting. I still use your method for baby blankets and t-shirt quilts for family and friends. The only difference is that the center panel is a large animal applique with the baby’s name. I digitize my applique using embroidery software. I attached examples. They are not my best work, but you get the idea. My best ones are on another computer.
Anyway I want you to know you have made a significant difference for the good in my life.
Best regards,
Deb W
I LOVE the idea of the embroidered center block! Thank you so much Deb, for your wonderful note and photos of your lovely quilts!
I recently received this note, and pics of TWO of her quilts! Thank you Lynn for thinking of me and sharing your quilts 🙂
I emailed you a year ago January asking for guidance on this quilt. Just thought I would share the finished project pictures. I learned so much doing this quilt! Thank you so much.
Lynn
Thought I would share another that I made using your book. This was a memorial quilt for a dog that died in January. I made it using his bandanas. He had 35 bandannas!, one of which he wore every day. It was really fun to make.
Thank you again for your great book.
Lynn
Wenonah’s dad loves his Harleys! He’d collected T-Shirts from many places and Wenonah put them together into this quilt, which he uses and loves. She also helped me tremendously when I was writing my T-Shirt Quilts book, by arranging a quilting retreat with friends and they all tested stabilizers!
Below are a couple of close-ups of the T-shirts. Wenonah lived in Alaska at the time the book was written but has since moved to Ohio to be closer to her parents.
Wenonah was one of the first quilters to share a photo of her “Crazy Shortcut Quilt” when we first released that book (2007) and I was astonished to find out that we both lived in Alaska. Over the years we’ve met up, gone to retreats (she’s the organizer), swapped photos and emails and had a lot of quilting fun. She has the best friends and I am grateful to be counted among them. ~Marguerita
Hi Marguerita,
I reached out to you in 2019 with a question about the crazy shortcake quilt I was starting to make for my mother’s birthday. You quickly responded and were very encouraging and supportive. It meant a lot.
Unfortunately, my mother passed away a few months before her 97th birthday and I put the quilt away without finishing it. However, as I recently had my machine out to work on covid masks, I decided to pull out the quilt and try to finish it. I thought you might like to see the end product. Thanks to you, I successfully made my very first quilt!
Stay safe!
Susan H
Thank you for your book! I just finished my quilt… not perfect, but good enough. I used fleece fabric for backing/stuffing. Makes it a light-weight throw. I’m including a pix.Thanks again – your book took me through step-by-step.
Mary
I love how Mary up-sized the various t-shirts to make them all the same size, with multiple borders if needed, which brings a lovely mix of colors to her quilt. ~Marguerita
