Green Colorbars

A more secure hook, and the Asian Round Robin is back on the wall.

I've been working on (as the children allow) getting the String-X quilt quilted, among other things like fielding Craigslist ads to get rid of some stuff on our back patio, mixing compost and earthworm castings into the back patio beds and planting primroses and violets there, and dealing with other potted plants on the patio.  Wonderful Husband cut up some of an old pallet we had and made me a new top for one of the patio tables that I use to hold potted plants!  And I made lemonade from the fruit of our prolific lemon tree.  Plus the baby had a day of fever, and did not like taking medicine.  At all.

So, work is getting done, just mostly on non-quilty things.  Though here's the block I designed for this month's OCQG BoM:

(tutorial not yet up at the above link, though it should be soon - dear lord have I really been doing this for the guild for a year and a half already?)

I'd like to make a quilt of these, with alternating black and white backgrounds, and the green bars also alternating vertical/horizontal.  But I'm being mostly good!  Finishing UFOs, not starting new projects!

Round Robin Finish

I'm not sure if I can count this one as a UFO, given I only got it back at the December guild meeting and then I left the country for a month, but at least it's finish #3 for the year!

Here is the Asian fabrics wallhanging I got back from the round robin project, and as a bonus, I followed this tutorial on hanging quilts, so it's even up on display!

ETA: Four hours after hanging, the hooks just de-adhesed themselves from the wall and it came tumbling down.  Looks like installing a permanent hook may be the best after all.

I have the next project ready to baste - it's based on Bonnie Hunter's String-X pattern - and then after that I am resolved to put together the top for my aunt's commission quilt.  Plus I've been going through my collection of books and magazines and destashing some of them.  Of course, the ones I'm keeping want me to follow their bunnies.  But I am firm and resolved!  UFOs all the way, baby!

Book Reading

I've been powering through some books recently.  Most are sewing-related, so I thought I'd post short reviews here.

League of Dragons, by Naomi Novik, 417 pages.  The finale to the Temeraire series.  I quite liked it; I'd been wondering for several books now how on earth Our Heroes would prevail.  That said, the ending line, about Parliament, felt a bit weak.  Though it was the logical place to go, I suppose.

Magic For Nothing, by Seanan McGuire, 348 pages. The next Incryptid book, this one switches to a new member of the Price family, and gives us a look into the Covenant.  I didn't like it as much as the others - Antimony has a big chip on her shoulder - but I look forward to reading what happens next, as her story is very much left open for the next book.

Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg, by Gail Carson Levine, 189 pages.  Squiddle has watched several of the Tinkerbell movies, so I pulled this one off Mt. ToBeRead.  I like the movies a bit better, but OTOH, I really liked Tinkerbell's emotional turmoil about Peter.

Pleating For Mercy, by Melissa Bourbon, 293 pages. I love the Magical Dressmaking series.  I also love how I can't tell whodunnit!  Plus, I end up feeling inspired to do garment sewing again.

A Fitting End, by Melissa Bourbon, 298 pages. Book 3 of the Magical Dressmaking series.  I felt like I needed to reread #2, which I read some months ago.  But, again, I couldn't solve the mystery.  Well done!

A Custom-Fit Crime, by Melissa Bourbon, 300 pages.  Book 4 of the Magical Dressmaking series.  This was the first one where I (mostly) figured out the killer.  Though even then, there was quite a twist I hadn't seen coming.

A Killing Notion, by Melissa Bourbon, 290 pages.  I figured out the mid-book twist in this one, but not the killer, so, again, well done to the writer!

The Potting Shed Quilt, by Ann Hazelwood, 322 pages.  I'd heard that this was a quilting series with a supernatural twist, which it is, but unfortunately, I found it really disappointing.  The dialogue is painfully on the nose, and the opening premise of the story is not resolved, instead being punted forward to the next book.  Plus, honestly, the small business owner heroine sets her own hours and never worries about money.  Then there's the whole restoring a dilapidated Victorian mansion with ease thing, which just feels like real estate porn.  Cannot recommend.

And now to go return those last four books to the library.