Louise Penny and flowers

I have always adored mystery books.  Once I discovered Agatha, Ellis Peters, and now Louise Penny I cannot rest if there is a new book I have not read.  My friend LW told me about Penny and her detective Chief Inspector of the Surete in Montreal Canada, Armand Gamache and his quiet village just south of Montreal, Three Pines where more murders happen than should for a town that size.
But it is not all just about who "done it." Her character development and understanding of human capabilities both good and bad make for a deeply satisfying read.  From her first title Still Life to the newest How the Light Gets In you are deeply involved in these peoples lives.  I was lucky enough to see that she was doing a book signing in Raleigh at Quail Ridge Bookstore last Friday night and with three friends who share a love of reading we took off.  I was enchanted with Louise Penny from her first words to her last and when she signed my book I was content.  This had to be a top ten experience for me.  I felt this way even more after last night when I finished the new book.
I want to share with you how the title came about.  It is from a poem/song by Leonard Cohen-"Anthem."

Ring the bells that still can ring,
Forget your perfect offering,
There's a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.

Anyway if you love a good mystery and character development here it is.

Finally the back is better and I have felt like sewing.  Here are the two stitcher's garden blocks from Tuesday's class.

The little one on the bottom should have had rick rack around the bigger flower but I don't do rick rack.   Only three more months!!!!!
Going to P's to quilt tomorrow.  Will work on Confetti quilt squares and maybe snowmen blocks.
Mystery quilting
Sally

my back and snowmen

It seems as if my back goes out more than I do.  It is taking longer for the muscles to recover this time than usual.  I looked on the medicine bottle and it seems as if it was just this time last year I was dealing with my back.  Must be the "vacation in august" syndrome.  Anyway off to dr this am to see if it is something besides muscles.  They can't be weak after hauling around the sewing machines.  And speaking of that why did they call the little singers "featherweights?"  I guess everything is relative.  The calendar project meets on Friday and I will have to decide to carry hand work if my back is still not right.  I love doing them but will be glad when I have all twelve.  Then I will probably make a birthday one.  Here is the one for September.

I tried to find a button in the shape of a worm but will have to be satisfied with the lady bug on the leaf.  I really do enjoy doing these and it is fun to go to my stash for the fabrics. 
Here is the block for last month's stitcher's garden.

I have really learned a lot about my machine and sewing in general.  This block was about putting in piping in the borders.  I am getting anxious about putting all these blocks into a quilt!
I have finished the mystery quilt in amish fabrics and it is at Heather's being quilted. 
The other project I finished and handed to AB for a donation quilt was the BOM for Drunkard's Path.
Only 10 of the twelve kits were turned in so I found more fabric and made the other two blocks.  I like to practice feathers on the borders and got a lot of help from PB and Sue Nickels' book on quilting feathers.  I would love to take a class from her. Thanks to Marla's bee class on machine quilting several from the guild have plunged into machine quilting and are really enjoying it.

We try to keep our donation quilts less than 45 inches wide so we can get two pieces from our 90" wide roll of batting.  Two other kind people took two other kitted up BOMs to quilt and finish.
Little by little we are getting them done.  Thanks all for doing these.
Hopefully I will be better by this weekend so I can finish my snowman blocks.  Can't wait to see what everyone is doing for a block.  18 people have signed up so I am making 20 blocks. 
Looking forward to some cooler less humid air. 
Red delicious quilting.
Sally