Blocks 8 and 9 - #TheSplendidSampler

Block #8 - Friends Around the Square - designed by Julie Karasek

Block #8 was difficult for me to visualize, but I am happy with the way that it turned out.

Block #9 - Local Quilt Shop designed by Jane Davidson

Block #9 was lots of fun! I personalized it by naming it "Nona's Quilt Shoppe." I will probably add more detail after the quilting, maybe a button for a doorknob. 

The English Son

The English Son by Wanda E. Brunstetter and Jean Brunstetter. (Part1- The Amish Millionaire series) Ohio: Shiloh Run Press, 2016. 124 pages. *****

In this quick read, Joel Byler has left his Amish family and community and is a successful businessman in the construction industry and is engaged to Kristi. Joel has big plans for his future, however, his impulse purchase of a 1967 tuxedo-black Corvette Stingray for $250,00.00 derails his dream of buying Kristi an engagement ring, building a house and paying his contractors what he owes them. Will Joel's estranged father loan him some money or will some big money contracts come through in time?

The English Son is the first book of six for Wanda Brunstetter's new series The Amish Millionaire. Co-authored with her daughter-in-law Jean Brunstetter. Fans of Amish fiction will welcome this new series. I read it in one sitting and can't wait for the next one. The Brunstetters deliver a complicated situation and ethical dilemma in an easy to read succinct story.

I received a copy for a review.

New York Times best-selling author Wanda E. Brunstetter and her husband live in Washington State but take every opportunity to visit friends in Amish settlements throughout the States.

Jean Brunstetter enjoys writing about her Amish friends' simple way of life and takes every opportunity to visit Amish communities.

#mywinterisbooked

Look what came this morning! A box of books, umbrella, page flags, and a Challenge...woohoo!

Blocks 6 and 7 - #TheSplendidSampler

Blocks 6 and 7: "Focal Point" designed by Natalia Bonner and "Snug as a Bug" designed by Amy Sinibaldi

Making these blocks my own has been so much fun and drawn on my creative powers...Using the Layer Cake by Tula Pink with its unique designs has been challenging, however,  I am loving how all of the blocks are coming together!

In case you noticed, the first block is a Bonus Block, so really there are 8 blocks completed!

Round Robin Quilt

My Quilt Guild,  The Brandywine Valley Quilt Guild, is starting a Round Robin at the next meeting. Why do I think everything will be easy? I thought I would just find a pattern, use fabric from my stash and ta-dah, a quilt is born!

Here are the Guidelines:

• Center square should be a minimum of 12" square and a maximum of 16" square. (mine is 14")
• Each round/border must be no more than 6" and no less than 3" wide. 
• The rounds may include but are not limited to: checkers, flying geese, half square triangles, stars, embroidery, and/or applique. The border does not need to be symmetrical in shape, color or style. 
• Due Dates - April 12th, May 10th, June 14th, July 12th and August 9th. 

I decided on a "Glamper" because they are just so much fun. I'm not a camping kind of gal, but these fit right into my fantasy of hitting the road and seeing the USA. No Glamper would be complete without a flamingo and since I grew up in the 50-60s, the block needed a hippie flair. My word for 2016 is "Promise" so I had to include it somewhere!

Along with the center block, there is a journal for thoughts on the process, notes from the contributors, etc., a fabric pen, a label and suggested fabric to be used in the borders. I included a checklist of items as a reminder.

I found this box to put everything in...just happens to be aqua, my favorite color!

Our Guild Quilt Show is October 15th and 16th, perhaps you will see our finished Round Robin Quilts there!

Find Her

Find Her: a novel by Lisa Gardner. New York: Dutton, 2016. 402 pages. ***

Seven years ago, college student Florence “Flora” Dane was kidnapped during spring break  and held captive for 472 days by self-proclaimed monster Jacob Ness. Flora has never returned to the person she was before Jacob turned her into "Molly," a pale, lifeless, victim. Flora may have been released from the box Jacob confined her in, however, will she ever be free from her darkest thoughts? Sergeant Detective D.D. Warren is called out to a scene and finds Flora Dane naked with zip ties on her wrists. Flora uses resources in the garage, a packet of food and anti-freeze to attack the bartender who while pretending to save her, kidnaps her. Warren finds out that this is the fourth such incident that Flora has been involved in. Complicating the situation is that additional girls have been kidnapped and D.D. is working the case to find them. Is Flora a victim of being in the wrong place, wrong time, or does she have first-hand knowledge of who the kidnapper is? 

Find Her is Lisa Gardner’s latest D.D. Warren book, the eighth book in the series. Gardner has a talent for drawing me right in and holding me captive inside her stories. This one, not so much. The plot was great and I was constantly second guessing Flora's role, however, it was somewhat predictable and disappointing. It was told from Flora's point of view and I was sympathetic to her plight and the horror of it was real, but there was something keeping me from totally "buying" the story. I'm not even sure why...could have been me.

I received an ecopy of this book from NetGalley for review. 


Lisa Gardner is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of seventeen previous novels, including her most recent Crash & Burn. Her detective D.D. Warren novels include Fear Nothing, Catch Me, Love You More, and The Neighbor which won the International Thriller of the Year Award. She lives with her family in New England. 

Blocks 4 and 5 - #TheSplendidSampler

Blocks 4 and 5 - #The Splendid Sampler

Block #4 - Happy, Happy designed by Jen Kingwell

Block #5 - Simple Simon by Celine Perkins

This project has been so much fun! It is a challenge to choose the fabric for each block from the Saltwater layer cake. I do have some yardage to supplement, but I am saving every scrap in case I need it for future blocks!