Got any Nook e-book suggestions?

I'll be heading to San Antonio next month (my first time to Texas - yippee!) and would love to have some suggestions for books to download on my Nook to take with me. 

Here are the type of books I like to read:

Romantic time travel (Jude Deveraux - Knight in Shining Armor, Legend)

Medical mysteries (similar to Robin Cook)

Espionage (especially if there's a bit of romance thrown in)

I loved all of the "Girl" books - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest (and I'd love it if someone knew of books similar to them)

If you've read a book you think is fantastic, please tell me about it.  I'm not locked into the categories I've listed, they're just the ones I thought of off the top of my head.  I'd love to broaden my reading horizons, and welcome anything you send my way.

Please suggest...and if they're free, that's even better.

Texas....here I come!!!  Well, here I come in another four weeks.

A video of "dancing quilt blocks"

This is a neat interpretation of quilt blocks dancing to folk music. 

Initially, I wasn't sure if I liked it.  But after a little while, it was almost like watching a kaleidoscope, and I came to love watching the quilt blocks changing positions, moving across the screen, and creating new designs.

Sit back and enjoy the dancing quilt blocks.

Win 10 Yards of Sunkissed by Moda

Remember this post  I did asking for your star block donations?

Shawna at 1 Choice 4 Quilting is the daughter of a retired Marine and decided to do something to get even more interest in this wonderful cause.  checking out her post here and see how you can win 10 yards of Sunkissed by Moda! 

You'll need to create your star by Monday, March 21st, 10:00 PM Eastern, so time is running short.  Check out Shawna's details to see how to participate. 

Good luck!

Want to make some blocks for "Quilt Blocks for Cancer"???

Colleen at Lucky Duck Dreams needs our help with her new fundraiser for Relay for Life called Quick Blocks for Cancer.  She needs 12.5" unfinished star blocks or 5" squares (see details on her blog).  Applique, embroidery, words and embellishments are welcome.  She says cancer survivors are STARS and they should SHINE! 

She needs the blocks by March 31st.  She'll assemble it, and is looking for someone to quilt it for her.  Please check out the details here and show your love by participating.  March 31st is right around the corner, but it won't take long to make a block or two.  This is such a wonderful cause.  I've had several family members and friends who have not survived cancer, as well as some that are survivors, and this will be a wonderful way to remember them as I'm sewing these quilt blocks.

9-patch blocks and calendar quilt progress

I heard from Debra and she's received my 9-patch blocks.  In fact in her latest posting, I can see them in the stack with the others she received.  I can't wait to see the quilt when she gets it all together.  I can't imagine how she'll combine all the colors.  Look at the variety of colors she has received.

I don't think I've told you about the quilt I've been working on for my daughter.  She's very particular, so she has picked out every single fabric that is going to be used in her quilt.  And that's fine with me.  We live about 45 minutes apart, and both have our responsibilities, so it's difficult to get together.  She always has to come to my house because we're shopping my stash.  And since I started this quilt for her, I told her she definitely has to know how much I love her.  Because she has had me step outside my comfort zone.

A little background is in order.  I have twin daughters.  They'll turn 34 years old the 25th of this month.  This daughter (daughter #1 since she was first-born) never asks for anything and is super independent.  And she's a very private person (unlike me and daughter #2).  Before I left Germany in June 2008, daughter #1 said she had found a quilt she would like me to make for her.  To say I was ecstatic would be an understatement.  I would LOVE to do something for her!  Yes!   So I said "Sure, send me a picture of what you want."  And what does she send me?  A calendar quilt wall-hanging.  But she didn't want it as a wall-hanging.  She wants it as a lap quilt.  Well, I had taken a paper-piecing class and absolutely, positively HATED it with a passion.  I said I would never, ever, ever paper-piece again.  You know what they say about "never say never".  Because here I am doing it.  I bought Carol Doak's paper and a DVD and worked at it.  I enlarged those small wall hanging blocks onto the 8-1/2" X 11" paper and got to work.  It has been as frustrating as the 9-patch blocks I talked about in the previous post.  Long story short - I've finally got the piecing completed, and 90% of the embellishments completed (photos soon).  I don't know if the embellishments should be called applique, because I'm not really sure if that's what I was doing or not.  But my daughter and I are going to get together Saturday and we're going to the quilt shop to look for fabric for the sashing, border, binding and backing.  Since I don't know about the "rules" for the sizes of sashing and binding, maybe the folks at the quilt store can assist us with that.  But I need additional width and length.  I'm thinking she'll want it 3 blocks wide with 4 blocks long.  With the block sizes 8-1/2" X 11" and since we only have 12 months in the year, that's not giving me a lot for the width.  That gives me a width of only 24".  Yikes!  Gotta add a lot more fabric to get something worthy of a lap top. 

So thankfully, I'm getting excited about getting with daughter #1 to select those fabrics on Saturday.  I can't wait to see what she selects, and I hope someone at the shop can assist with ideas of fabrics to possibly make multiple borders (gotta have more and more to add extra inches).  Last night I wondered if we could do four borders, one for each season.  Her mother-in-law has an embroidery machine.  She could embroider "Summer, Winter, Spring and Fall" on each border.  I just don't know if daughter #1 would like that idea, and cannot for the life of me imagine what colors to use.  But it's an idea and I can suggest it.  Maybe we could find some fabrics that would make that work.  We'll see.  [Just wish I knew how to use the embroidery function of my sewing machine, and I could do the embroidery myself].

Wish us luck!

Ever made a stupid decision?

I forgot to tell you - I finished the 9-patch blocks for Debra that I posted about here.  Those demons blocks pushed me to the limit.  I sewed.  And I ripped.  And I cursed.  And I stalked off and ignored the sewing room for a couple of hours.  Then I went back and I sewed.  And I ripped.  And I cursed.  And I stalked off -again.  I was afraid I was going to let Debra down.  I had promised some blocks, but it just wasn't happening.  Can you say "failure"?  Boy I sure can.  But I guess it's a good thing I was born under the sign of Taurus the Bull.  Because I certainly am bull-headed.  I got those blocks finished and mailed well before the deadline Debra had set.  I've asked for honest feedback regarding the quality of those blocks.   That's the only way I can learn.

I had so many problems issues while sewing.  I've got this super-duper Pfaff sewing/embroidery machine.  Me!  Heck, I'm doing good I can figure out how to program the microwave.  Operate a computerized sewing machine?  I don't think so!  I may be 57 years old, but had never really done much sewing.  Sure, I had made the occasional Halloween costume (a clown, a Queen of Spades costume) - things I didn't have to worry about actually fitting. 

So what made me want to start quilting?  When my daughter was pregnant, I was in Germany.  I was friends with a woman who had quilts throughout her house.  So I asked her if she'd make one for my soon-to-be-grandchild.  Her answer?  "No, but I'll be glad to show you how, and you can make it."  And that is how I got started.  I bought a 15 year old Singer sewing machine for $20, bought fabric, she found me a pattern and I started sewing.  That first quilt was hand-tied and was made with much love.  I can remember so well presenting that quilt when my granddaughter was born. 

My granddaughter will be 6 years old in July, and I haven't seen the quilt since I gave it to her.  I'm almost afraid to ask my daughter about it, because I would be heartbroken to find she doesn't have it any more.  Maybe one day I'll get brave enough to ask.  After all, it was my very first quilt.  It started this journey I've been on for the past 6 years. 

Fast forward a few years.  That friend took a job and moved to Alaska.  In the meantime, I had formed a friendship with another lady that quilted.  She had a Pfaff sewing/embroidery machine and somehow I convinced myself that's what I needed too.  No way to buy American since I'm in Germany, so we go out on the German economy and I buy me a sewing/quilting machine.  Quite a few thousand dollars I spent on that machine.  My new friend is telling me about how she's going to show me how to use it, how all those special feet I bought will each serve a purpose, and how once she shows me how to embroider with it, I can individualize little shirts and skirts and bags and hats for my new granddaughter.  Oh how exciting! 

And then...and then...almost immediately after I take possession of my new sewing machine (within weeks), that friend leaves Germany and comes back to the U.S.  And I'm stuck in Germany with an extremely expensive Pfaff sewing/embroidery machine I don't know how to use.  And since I bought it on the German economy, the only training I can get will be in German.  Can I converse in German?  Well, heck yeah!  In a restaurant (yessiree, nothing gets between me and my food).  But technical terms for sewing machine lessons?  Nuh-uh.  So I start searching for an American that can help me.  Surely someone can help me.  Nope.  Nobody.  Seems as though everybody else had a Bernina.  So why the H-E-double-hockey-sticks did I get a Pfaff???  Because that friend guided me in that direction.  And I'm a dunce.  An idiot.  A wuss.  <Insert deep sobbing here>.

I got back to the U.S. in July 2008, and haven't done a lot of sewing since then.  I did a table runner for an International Christmas swap in 2009, and recently I've been working on a quilt for my other daughter.  Every time I sit down at this computerized machine, I'm overwhelmed.  And intimidated.  And scared.  I can't figure out what foot does what, how to figure out the stitch width and length, the IDT, the decorative stitches (heck, I don't even need to worry about them now anyway considering I still don't feel comfortable with the straight stitch).  And I've checked to see if someone locally can train me how to use the machine, and it will cost me $60/hr for training.  That's money I don't have. 

I wish I had my $20 Singer sewing machine back.   There was not one thing wrong with that machine.  She worked wonderfully.  And I tossed her aside.  Like I didn't love her.  If I had her back, I'd dust her, and maintain her, caress and cherish her, and whisper sweet words into her ears (do sewing machines have ears?) and maybe she would forgive me.  But sadly, I gave her away when I got my monstrosity Pfaff.  How I miss her. 

Please don't get me wrong.  I don't dislike Pfaff.  It could just as well have been a Bernina or a Singer I had purchased.  My problem is I bought something totally above my level of comprehension.  And I knew it at the time.  But I was depending on someone else to bail me out.  To save me.  To be my safety net.  And now that "someone" isn't available.  That someone left before they could pass on their knowledge.  So please, don't think I'm saying Pfaff isn't a good machine to have.  I know it is.  I saw what that friend could do with hers, and I wanted to make the same magic with mine.  But like I said, I'm a dunce.  An idiot.  A wuss. 

So...have you ever made a stupid decision like mine?  If so, what did you do?

Quick Reference Guide

How many inches are in 5/8 of a yard? How big is a layer cake? Quilt blocks on point?  Need to know how much fabric to buy for the back of your quilt, but unsure?

Here are some Quick Reference Guides .  It would be nice to laminate these - I'll bet you'll be using them often.