Books, Wips and Learning

If you are just wanting quilty stuff please scroll down a bit ;))

I was visiting Heather’s blog and saw that she had read an incredible amount of books over the past year and I was in awe. The total sum of books I’ve completely read in the last year is one :- Alan Titchmarsh’s “Mr MacGregor”.   I love Alan’s wit and this was a romance book with the usual route of romance books but a bit of horticulture thrown in and lots of humour.  I’m just a slow reader.  It had me ‘LOL –ing’ on quite a few occasions.  Having listened and watched Alan on many occasions on TV in Gardeners World, etc., I could ‘hear’ his voice, a lovely soft Yorkshire accented voice, in my head, sort of reading it to me.

Here is the book I am currently wading through.  It is written by Lori Smith “A Walk With Jane Austen”  “A modern woman’s search for happiness, fulfilment and her very own Mr Darcy”

It’s classified as a ‘Memoir/Biography’  and is a very interesting read even if I only pick it up once in a while.

Now I am also listening to an audio book.  Diana Gabaldon’s Drums of Autumn.   It is the 4th in the series.  I have actually read the first 3!   

Now when I bought the first book “Cross Stitch” my DH scoffed and remarked that I would never read it all.   Well I proved him wrong.  Not only did I read it but also the next two in the series. I have the Drums of Autumn book but decided it would be a good one to listen to so bought the audio version.  The book itself has 1185 pages.   Audio is not such an easy option as it takes some practice to ‘listen’.  I have frequently lost the plot (no funny remarks please, ;))  and had to go back to the beginning of a chapter to listen over again because the MP3 I have doesn’t let you go back a page or two.  (DD keeps reminding me I should have bought an Ipod)  Anyway, I find I can now ‘get lost’ in this audio book while doing the ironing or sitting hand sewing.

So there you go ;) my reading experiences.  Sorry didn’t mean to write a book about it ;))

Now for some quilty stuff..  Here is what I have up on my little cork board design wall.

The Honeycomb Stars… a pattern in the June 2010 American Patchwork & Quilting.  It is being made with Inklingo printed diamonds and hexagons and I’m hand piecing it.

The ‘thing’ in the top left hand corner which looks like a spider with one less leg..is my attempt at crocheting a flower ;)) 

The Canada sticker came on a pouffie from a buddette…;))

Below is another of my attempts.  A try out of making and working with yarn from old      t-shirts:- 

  It would make a good hotpad…. or if I felt inclined I could keep adding to it and eventually end up with a durable floor rug.. 

If you would like to try making t-shirt yarn go over to Lettie’s blog   where she has made a tutorial for it.   I love her blog you will be drooling..

Tutorials for doing the crocheting part you can find on YouTube.  This is the one I watched  by Bethintx1:-

She does some great tutorials for beginners if you are interested.

Well friends if you have made it thus far bravo!  That’s it for now, speak to you again soon ;)

Happy Stitching… Elly