Anna Scott Graham's Blog, page 23

A Love Story: The Enran Chronicles Book One

Sometimes a novel's release is pre-planned, well-publicized, and meticulous organized. And sometimes a book's publication occurs during quiet time on a busy Sunday afternoon. The latter is my choice because if I don't do this now, who knows when I'll get this series started, insert laughing face here.

The Enran Chronicles has been my fictional obsession for over a year. Tia Sorenson and Nathan Zanetti are characters tightly stitched in my heart, Tia's sisters Lucy and Wynn, as well as Shirl Wentz like members of my own clan. Their neighbor Dana Noth and Lucy's six-year-old son Bobby are just as dear, as well as two aliens from hundreds of years and millions of miles away, known as the Doc and Captain to Tia and Nathan, who have been inadvertently entwined not merely with each other.

Love at almost first sight as well as life with aliens slam into familial tragedy right along my North Coast home, as well as lots of smirks and sisterly affection. Set in 2003, phones don't matter much, but telepathic dialogues mesh with verbal sparring, enhancing this tale of what happens when college sophomores are invaded, as well as an unplanned pregnancy which coincides with unexpected heartache. And, as Tia often sighs, don't forget the @&*#+? aliens!

The first of four already written novels, A Love Story is actually the starter for a series that will probably go much further. I hesitate to say just how many books, but certainly the current plan is at least eight, perhaps ten depending on how nervy is this cast as well as how gutsy is the muse. Currently this novel is available on Smashwords, but within the next week or so it should appear at other online retailers.

The quiet time timer is about done, so more about this book, and series, when I get a chance. In the meantime, here is the first scene, heavy on the sci fi, but Chapter Two is all about Tia, so if romance, new adult, chick lit, and a few flustered aliens are your thing, download this free novel today! And thanks for reading an independent author.

Chapter 1

 

Sentientbeings crowded around the ship; sparkling with light, the creatures made itdifficult for those inside the Royan vessel to view precisely where they hadlanded, this planet long known for its enigmatic landforms and encompassingcloud dispersal. Exactly how many creatures was another mystery, but anexploratory crew departed the ship, dressed in heavy protective gear,frustrating many of the beings attempting to integrate with what hadinfiltrated their world.

Thefailed incorporations were assumed by some of the beings as merely anotherexample of their exclusivity within their universe. This invasion wasn’t thefirst, nor would it be the last, yet until one of these species permittedadaptation, or was brazen enough to take aboard their vessel even a minutefraction of what swarmed the ship, no collective information could be shared.After an appropriate interval, most of the beings flitted away. The communalagenda of what continued to buzz around the bipeds remained, an insistentgroup, one of the Royans announced to the others.

“Shallwe detain some of these?”

Thecommander swatted away a few of the beings, then was again met by a throng.“That is not our mission.”

“Butthey are so insistent. And pervasive.”

“Isee that. But under no circumstance are we to….”

Thepause was so brief, none of the other Royans noticed. “Actually yes,” thecommander stated. “A maximum level containment field should be sufficient. Ifthey so badly want to know us, we will see how they fare.”

“Andif they seem incompatible with that degree of restraint?”

“Thenwe will release them, agreed?”

Thegroup assented to the plan, which was communicated to those still on thevessel. Within moments a force field was erected around a small selection ofthe beings, which immediately darkened all within it. The beings were released,regaining their illumination. The majority drifted away, but a few remained,over one hundred, a Royan announced. “Perhaps they wish to be enclosed.”

“Thatis too many,” the commander said. “I only want to study five. We do not knowhow they reproduce.”

Thecontainment field was reestablished, but reduced in size, those squeezed outricocheting off the sides. “They are not happy in being excluded,” a crewmember observed.

“Iam not concerned with that,” the commander replied. “But I am grateful to seethey cannot infiltrate it. We will explore these coordinates in groups of twoand meet back at my mark.”

“Andthe containment field?”

“Wewill bring it with us if what inside it survives that long.”

TheRoyans left the area, but the commander remained near the beings collectedwhile life forms attempted to breach the commander’s protective gear. It wasmerely a ruse, although the commander’s consciousness remained undisturbed,reassuring those aboard the vessel that these beings, while curious, posed nothreat to the ship’s complement of thirty-six personnel.

Atthe arranged time, the Royans reconvened at the commander’s position, then werereturned to the ship along with the containment field, which was sent directlyto the medical lab. The beings continued to sparkle, at times clusteredtogether, then separating from one another. But they didn’t increase in number,nor did they exhibit any sign of consciousness. This was reported to thecommander, who then visited the lab. “Would you deem them harmless?” thecommander asked the chief medical officer.

“Iwould not go that far, yet they do not display any hostile behaviors. Ourencounter with them seems to be an initial sighting. Nothing in the databasedescribes a previous meeting.”

“Curious,”the commander said, stepping close to the beings, who had backed away, thengrouped together.

“Theyseem to be stirred by you.” The medical officer swept a device all around thecontainment field. “I have scanned them repeatedly and am now tracking massiveamounts of energy being released.”

“Doesit harm them?”

“Icannot tell, but your presence is off-putting.”

Thecommander peered closely at the beings, now in one large cluster. “Run a testwith a variety of staff, then inform me of the results.”

“Iwill alert you as soon as I have a report.”

Departingthe lab, the commander returned to the bridge, finding a change of course hadbeen demanded by the Royan government. The commander sighed, then altered theship’s heading to Saran Six, where the beings could be studied at this sector’sscientific base. Soon afterwards the medical officer contacted the commander.“You are the only one who elicits such a response. Can you return so I canagain study their reactions?”

“Iam on my way,” the commander replied.

Atthe medical lab, the commander approached, then stepped away from the beings.They grouped together when the commander neared them, then separated when thecommander backed off. “I find this most curious,” the medical officer said.“May I scan you Commander?”

“Certainly.”

Themedical officer used the same device on the commander. “I find no change inyour physiology. And yet you were the one who permitted them onto the ship. Icannot explain it.”

“Putit in your report so when we reach Saran Six these can be tested against othersin my position. And keep me informed if there is any change in them.”

“Iwill do so.”

Approachingthe lab’s exit, the commander turned back. “I am going to retire to my quarters,but contact me regardless if there is any alteration.”

“Asyou wish.”

Thecommander glanced at the beings, now floating freely in the containment field.“Curious creatures indeed.”

“Theyexhibit no significant intelligence. They have only reacted to you.”

Thecommander rejoined the medical officer. “Are we alone?”

“Yes.”

“Iwish to speak freely.”

“Pleasedo so.”

Thecommander grasped the medical officer’s shoulder. No words were spoken, but themedical officer nodded, then slumped in the commander’s grasp. The commanderthen released one of the creatures from the containment field; it landed on themedical officer. Immediately the biped was revived, then stood erect beside thecommander. They communicated telepathically, then the medical officer walked toa communication device near the door. “Report to the lab and bring threeofficers with you. The commander has been overtaken by one of the beings.”

Withinmoments a security team arrived, finding the commander and medical officerlying on the floor. Kneeling beside them, all four were immediately subdued bythose now influenced by the beings. The commander stood, dropping thecontainment field, allowing the other life forms to light upon the securityofficers. All four went to their feet, then gazed at the commander.Telepathically the commander ordered them to restrain the rest of those on thevessel. After the security team exited the lab, the commander silentlyaddressed the medical officer: How long do we have in these bodies?

Perhapsno more than enough time to reach Saran Six, the medical officer answeredinwardly. But you know as well as I do there are not enough of them to ferry usfurther than that base. And from there, we cannot travel far.

Weneed to find a species with more compatible lifespans.

Agreed,the medical officer said. Unless this experience meets your criteria.

Itdoes not. And there are so few of us.

Butwe cannot return for the others.

Ashame, the commander then shrugged. But we shall not perish in this state. Wewill rotate through this crew in the hopes of reaching a species that will bemore durable.

Andif we do not succeed, the medical officer inquired.

Thenwe will cease to function as we are. A pity, the commander sighed, but reliefnonetheless.

Agreed.Go with the others. Inform me when we have control of the vessel.

The commander nodded, then exited the lab. The medical officer went to awork station, inputting messages to the species’ database, that a pathogen hademerged from the life forms collected on the planet. Most of the crew wasinfected, but the commander had been saved, as well as a small team, themedical officer included. They would continue to a nearby moon to take allprecautions. The communique was acknowledged, an isolation facility on the moonused by various species. The medical officer smiled, then responded in theaffirmative. Then the officer left the lab to assist in the takeover of whatcrew remained noncompliant.

Always good to be home

 

Heading west on I-580, just having crossed over a lengthy bridge.

My goodness, where has the time gone? I've been back for two days, but no moment has been free to post here. I enjoyed a lovely getaway with an old friend, some warm temps, and an environment wholly altered to where I live. All in all, a terrific holiday, and now guests are arriving, which will probably preclude my usual flow of entries, although I truly am hoping to release my next book VERY SOON, lol.

Getting out of one's routine is full of positives, the sense of adventure, especially when going somewhere new. Spending time with a pal from the the past enhanced the sojourn, much over which to chat. She knew our locale well, for which I was grateful. And I didn't miss my hexie box at all, instead spending my downtime reading one of my old novels, again falling in love with the sense of writing merely for my own pleasure.

Our impending visitors will preclude me from diving into the prose, but I'm certainly pondering what my next novel project might be, as well as gaining excitement for publishing a new tale! It's a sci-fi romance that falls into the new adult/chick lit category. It's a book inspired by great love, aching loss, and stalwart hearts. It leads into what is currently four novels, but more await my time at the computer, which I hope to claim sometime next month. Or maybe as soon as guests depart, we'll see how the muse moves me.

For now, I'm happy to be home, thrilled for beloveds who will arrive this evening. Grateful for the experiences that occurred outside of Humboldt County, appreciative of my hubby and our cozy nest. I'm itching to write, lol, but that will happen in its own sweet time. Sweet because time has just altered, what with springing forward, more daylight in the evenings, warm temps right in my backyard!

Just waiting

 

Tonight's completion, a little Liberty fabric on the perimeter.

A quiet few days lately. No writing or revising going on, although I'm hoping to release a new book next week! I've spent a fair amount of time hand-quilting the Cornflower quilt, but there's PLENTY left to stitch. I cut fabric for a disappearing nine-patch, but now I'm prepping for a getaway, so packing and cleaning have taken precedence. And I'm not taking a hexie box with me.

No time for sewing? What kind of vacation is this! It's the kind where the sights are my focus, and a friendship celebrated with a gal I've known since junior high (middle school). My hands aren't in need of a break, or not that I know, lol. But I need a change of pace, and a weekend with a dear friend is the perfect way to spend some time.

When I get home, oh wow, lots to do; a novel to publish, a quilt top to baste, perhaps some gardening.... We're expecting balmy temps in a week, so I plan to start some flower seeds, my husband has veg seeds. Then of course I could weed, hahaha!

But mostly I'm grateful for the small things; longer stretches of daylight, a break in the rain, lengthy friendships. Lots of EPP waiting for me, spring approaching. Wishing you all a marvelous weekend, and when I return, expect plenty of novel chit-chat!

So about the sewing....

Nine patch blocks pre-slicing, those missing squares, and bonus rectangles!

As I walked through the office/sewing room last night on my way to bed, I grinned at the spoils of yesterday's fabric play scattered on my work table. I found lost eight and a half inch squares (YAY!), indulged in slicing, then machine stitching, nine patch squares (coolio), then gathered a bunch of four and a half inch squares to make more nine patch blocks. Then I ironed fabric to add to that array of squares, wanting to make more disappearing nine patch excitement, but I won't cut these on the diagonal, going the traditional route instead.

I also made six placemat tops from the diagonally cut nine patch blocks, put those big squares with the rest, as I knew I had more 8.5" squares but COULD NOT FIND THEM, ahem. I gave thanks for Past Me's hard work to sew together those leftover small squares, and for Future Me's patience in when I might get around to them. And I was immediately grateful for such a pastime that has been keeping me very happy for the last ten years. A decade I have been sewing, and here's a long post about why.

Unlike the writing, I never dreamed about making quilts. Don't ask me to choose between them, because fabric would lose, but only by the slimmest margin, which might make the writing cross, but it is what it is. Sewing is a pleasure that isn't silent, isn't isolated, isn't as cerebral as noveling, lol. Yeah there's quilt math and futzy patterns, but the sewing I enjoy is mostly easy, very colorful, occasionally big, often small, at times seated in front of my machine, more likely sitting on the sofa doing it by hand, and more than I ever considered standing at the ironing board, removing wrinkles or pressing seams.

Sewing is far more about ironing than I ever could have imagined.

Sewing is...something that sneaked up on my before the grandkids were even in utero, but the timing worked out well as I fashioned heaps of baby blankets, decorated burp cloths, even flannel wipes for my youngest who went into cloth diapering with such gusto that for a while she eschewed disposable wipes. I've made pot holders, a twin duvet cover, cloth napkins, placemats and coasters GALORE, and quilts. Lots of quilts. Small, medium, and even a few whoppers. I don't sew clothes, but I repair blown-out knees and uncomplicated rips, often with EPP. I transferred my fondness for cross stitching to English paper piecing four years into my stitching journey, and since 2018 have grown to love that manner of crafting, my hands not too balky, although my right shoulder gives me trouble on occasion.

Sewing took over in February of 2014 as my father started chemotherapy. My time to work on The Hawk declined while I made Dad's health my priority. That coincided with both of my daughters becoming pregnant, pushing the writing further into the background. (Not that The Hawk disappeared, mind you, it just wound its way into me differently, stretching its tenure a few years down the line....) Sewing was easy to pick up, then put down, and that was well before I knew about EPP. Fabrics didn't shout when I stepped away from home, patiently waiting in stacks and on the design wall until I returned from my role as a daughter, as a mum. Fabrics and simple patchwork quilts provided solace as Dad's health didn't improve as we'd hoped, fabrics acted as translators for the joy impending grandbabies stirred. Fabrics were new to me, proffering a previously unconsidered but necessary outlet as I unwittingly altered from a woman in her late forties with both parents still living to a grandmother in her early to mid-fifties with both parents dead but four grandkids taking center stage. In short, sewing became the bridge from my younger years to where I am right now, weeks from turning fifty-eight, which is two years from sixty.

Dude, that's quite a journey!

Sewing balances the writing by allowing me to showcase a talent that is wholly tangible. From ironing said fabrics to running them under a presser foot or wrapping them around paper shapes, touch is essential, whereas in writing, so much of the story(ies) dwell in my head and heart, my hands only employed on plastic keys or gripping a pen to paper. Everything about sewing is tactile, big or small projects. Okay, I do think about it, more than I want sometimes, like last night as I settled into bed, pondering what could be made from a disappearing nine patch pattern. More placemats, an entire quilt maybe.... I have no idea and won't for a good many days, weeks, months.... However long I faff about with this new shiny, while a quilt for my husband waits on the design wall to be basted, but I need the safety pins holding together the Cornflower quilt before I can make another quilt sandwich.... QUILT QUILT QUILT; I truly never ached to sew, not like I itched to write. Sewing sort of fell from heaven with a soft, pleasant PLOP onto my life exactly when I needed gentleness, compassion, joy. It was a sledgehammer that never hurt, only healed.

It's still that way, despite my achy right shoulder. Sewing slots into my life whether I'm home or away, small plastic containers or totes going with me anywhere I travel, thanks to EPP. My first quilt was gifted to Dad, who during chemo needed something to ward off the chills. English paper piecing took hold as Mom was dying; I used some of her thread to baste early hexagons, then inherited her stash, which I still use today to thread-baste all those shapes. Mom wasn't a quilter, she made garments. I can't fathom that intricate manner of construction, better for me to focus on simple projects, or hand-stitching the more elaborate designs.

Wow, this is quite the post! But sewing demanded an homage written, and since I'm not writing anything else right now, lol.... Over the next eleven months I'll slip in a few (or many) of my fave quilts and their histories, in part to enjoy those creations as well as remind myself how precious they were, and still are. Kind of like revising a novel, reveling in the thrill, and the occasional ache stirred by typos and niggly prose. But quilts don't care about missing punctuation or poorly phrased sentences. As long as the stitches hold, all is warm, cozy, and comfortable. And when the stitches lose their strength, a patch can be applied, or a reason to make another quilt. I have sufficient fabric alongside novel plots. Both will keep me busy for a good, long time.

Simple pleasures

Over this stormy weekend, snippets of blue sky have lightened my heart. We've been lucky to not have lost power, and I've enjoyed fixing soups and other warm dishes that lately I haven't bothered with, but this kind of weather calls for a variety of one-pot meals.

This kind of weather puts me in a sewing mood, so this morning I cut fabrics for EPP stars and whatever else lends itself to English paper piecing. I'll spend the afternoon listening to the Warriors/Celtics basketball game, tending the fire, maybe tackling revisions of The Hawk, probably some slow stitching on the Cornflower quilt or diving into that stack of shapes and scraps, diamonds and jewels and a few hexies aching to be clothed with pretty prints.

Spring is so close; I feel it in the fabrics, in the lengthening daylight, in how green is the grass and trees producing small buds, a few ahead of schedule. Despite this chilly spate of weather, the brighter skies make me hopeful, setting aside the darkness of winter. I built a fire before lunch merely that we hauled a lot of wood just for this cold weekend and had only used some last night. The Sierras have been pounded with snow, Interstate 80 closed from Placer County to the Nevada state line. Yet it's March, not January, and soon winter will be a memory.

Daffodils bloom along roadways, the sun is over the treeline, so much feels alive and warm and new! Such awareness of life's treasures balances the less stellar moments, but how vital is it to impart the good. Crises and sorrow never go away, why the gifts must be acknowledged.

The block above is one such delight; the inner diamonds are some inexpensive solids I bought to test if this fabric would be right for the attaching pieces in the Flock of Stars quilt. But seeing them together made me want to use them for another purpose, then I stitched some decorative Tilda fabric around them and fell in love. I might have inadvertently started yet another quilt, lol, but for now I'm enjoying stitching these random blocks for the succinct pleasure of making myself happy. Sure there are plenty of chores and dilemmas to deal with, but sometimes life can be as straightforward as delving into beauty, whether it's outside or in.

Wherever joy finds you today, embrace it!

Decluttering

 

The first finish of 2024 to hang on the laundry line.

It's not often one gets to blog on the twenty-ninth of February, lol. I've been busy wrapping up a quilt, a quilt block, and making a little mess of some marvelous six-point diamonds, but they can be absorbed into the Flock of Stars quilt, so I'm not going to berate myself for one night of faffing about. Life is meant to be lived, not meted out in a draconian fashion.

Ahem. Perhaps I'm feeling so generous with myself because a book cover is underway, a manuscript is formatted for release, synopses are written, genres chosen. LOL! Mostly I'm feeling unencumbered because 1) I finished the languishing baby quilt, pictured at the top of this entry.

2) I completed the appliqued onesies and mailed off the quilt and onesies to their new home.

A flock of onesies.

3) I wrapped up the Cornflower block, even getting it washed, and now have a decision to make concerning how I want to hand-quilt that project, as well as where I'll use this marvelous table linen.

Too large for a coaster, too small for a placemat. I wonder what I'll do with it....

4) I made spag bol this morning, and just put a pot of chili in the oven for later today. Which means tomorrow I don't have to think about cooking AT ALL, hah!

Now I'm seated in the bright living room, the earlier showers have moved eastward, the forecasted high winds never materializing, woo hoo! Yes it will rain heaps and bunches for the next, well, MANY DAYS, but comfort food has been made, a package sent, a beloved EPP project waiting to be quilted.... Suddenly all those other hand-sewing tasks don't bother me. What's one more tote, you know?

The sewing and writing are my pleasures. Yes, I often give them away, but the making, the crafting, the fashioning of stories and cozies makes my heart happy. The ultimate goal isn't some set amount of output; the goal is joy in my creative life, and crossing off some projects adds to the thrill.

Back of the quilt; the dad-to-be is a HUGE Star Trek OST fan, hence the outer space fabric.

Not having to cook tomorrow is cool too. Insert winking emoji here.

Clutter

A few random nasturtiums amid plentiful weeds and a ceramic frog.

For all my tidying, much remains amiss, like planters in the garden.

And a plethora of EPP projects that live in totes and on other surface areas.

And a couple of basted but not yet quilted quilts.

And some revised novels itching for release.

Mostly I'm aggrieved, for lack of a better word, with all the hand-stitching patterns that I've indulged in over the last few years. I found yet another set of basted pieces waiting for my attention, and yes, I started sewing them together all the while mumbling under my breath at how disorganized is the sewing, and so far flung. A few projects to mix up the evening stitching, sure! Over half a dozen, ummmmm....

Dude, that's kinda excessive.

Now maybe if I only sewed by hand, okay. Six, maybe seven projects wouldn't seem so outrageous. But those two quilts waiting for machine and hand-sewing, plus a couple of onesies that require applique, and then books to release.... Notice I haven't returned to the weeding? I get a pass on that because it's cold out and more rain will fall later this week. But how to parse out the correct amount of time for all these activities?

I don't know....

Many years ago I was a cross-stitcher. I had several projects going, and it became overwhelming. Finally I took one by one, finishing them and NOT STARTING ANY MORE. Ahem. That's probably the main key I can take to lessen the sewing clutter. The hand-sewing clutter.

A big storm is heading our way, which will provide me plenty of time to hand-sew, especially if the power goes out. Tomorrow I should sit at my machine, quilting a baby blanket. I also want to hand-quilt a spare Cornflower block to see if how I want to quilt it will look okay. Which means fashioning a little Cornflower quilt sandwich and....

Cornflower quilt on the basting table. Another of my fave blocks; I am so excited to hand-quilt this!

Clutter. All those lovely, well-meaning projects are clutter. Cluttering my head, my work spaces, my computer, the sofa, guest bed.... Virtual clutter and outdoor garden clutter and fabric clutter and why do I have so many shinies going on at one dang time?

I don't know. But...maybe in admitting all this STUFF, I can start to clear some of it out. Little by little, and not starting anything new (which means not throwing fabrics onto the design wall or cutting more fabric then pairing them with shapes or ironing more fabric or starting a new book), I can SLOWLY thin out these projects until I've cleared a path through the debris. Clear a road through the clutter, so wherever I'm going next doesn't trip me up. No sprained ankles, just the joy of creating a couple of lovelies at a time.

Tidying

We're enjoying some glorious sunshine and warmth, sometimes those don't always go together. I trimmed the garden blackberry bush, then sat in the sun reading before going in to wash the dishes. I'd hoped to get to that Cornflower Quilt, wanting to make that quilt sandwich, baste it, then bring it downstairs to begin the hand-quilting. But my work table needed to be cleared, which meant putting away the paper shapes from the above mentioned quilt.

It's thrilling to remove papers as the blocks, then rows, are sewn together. Bagging those papers, I knew eventually I'd need to return them not only to their box, but from the sources where I borrowed squares and diamonds to complete it. Fortunately I'd written down how many I used, so it was a matter of counting out shapes, slipping them back into envelopes. Certainly not the exact shapes I'd removed, but the papers were in good condition, and I won't be using them anytime soon.

I put the Cornflower Quilt box into my EPP tote, as well as the Seedlings Quilt box, from which I borrowed. It was nice to get that done, like liberating myself to work on that quilt top tomorrow. Some parts of quilting I'll stack up on the scant surface area, scraps and other EPP papers, but my work table needs to be clear so I can get things accomplished.

But cleaning up also goes with the writing. I have removed The Hawk from online outlets, as well as another book that I published back in 2011. I'm in the process of getting covers sorted, but I'm also considering whether or not to stay with Smashwords once they fully migrate all accounts to Draft2Digital. I've been with Smashwords for over a dozen years, but I'm not exactly keen on some the impending alterations. Or maybe I'm just resistant to change, well, yeah, I am. I've been perfectly happy with how I release books, and change is always difficult. If I was going to alter distributors, this would be the time, but more research is required before such a weighty decision would be made.

With spring somewhat on the horizon, I'm considering my options. And I'm grateful that sewing by hand is relatively unchanged, other than which project emerges next. The Mandolin block pictured above is another of my faves, and now that Cornflower is kind of behind me, perhaps I'll alternate the large Mandolin block with smaller stars. I'm feeling a little adrift, but not in a bad way. Just in how change is uncertain, but usually not as disturbing as initially considered.

Feels like publishing a novel

 

Special thanks to my husband for the heavy lifting, lol.

About half an hour ago (at the time of writing this post), I made the final stitch, completing one phase of crafting this Cornflower Quilt.

Photos have been taken, a few sent to those in the know. Now for a moment to sift through the last couple of years in the creation of this quilt top, which after the last block was stitched, came together a lot faster than I had anticipated.

A sample in the sunshine!

It's darker than I thought, the black squares and perimeter triangles adding a drama I hadn't considered.

It's beautiful, lol, but that kind of goes without saying, although I seem to have made this observation second to how dark it seems to me. (Having just finished August, by Judith Rossner, I'm in a little of an analytical mood, and maybe I'll write a post about how much I enjoyed that novel, but that's for later.)

Two of my favourite blocks.
 

It's full of fabrics from the last few years of my life, some very recent, some hinting back as maybe four years. Which in this my tenth year of quilting is fascinating, and yeah, more about that milestone soon enough.

It's a pattern I truly want to make again, for how easily and enjoyable were the blocks AND stitching them together. I can't say that about every EPP quilt, I might add.

Another fave, AMH in blue.

One of the reasons it came together so effortlessly (relatively) was a gift from designer Jodi Godfrey. When I ordered it, I requested the four-inch squares instead of the kit's original pieced versions of those squares consisting of diamonds, triangles and squares, all quite small. When I received the kit, Jodi noted that swapping out the small pieces wasn't possible, but she added the large squares for free, with a smiley face. Instead of laboring over stitching thirty futzy blocks, all I had to do was baste large squares, then realize I hadn't misplaced five of them, which is a few entries in the past, LOL....

And two more faves; the one on top was the last block stitched for this quilt. The squares in the one underneath were from a scrap I received in a fabric order years ago.

This quilt isn't being gifted, as were my previous English paper pieced efforts. I made it in a delightfully scrappy style that wasn't hampered by anyone else's choice of fabrics.

And again, it's very pretty. I love the different greens, I appreciate the black perimeter and inner blocks, as I rarely use black. I like having included two blocks without green borders, some fave Anna Maria Horner prints adding a little surprise.

That last stitch, for now. I'll probably hand-quilt this, so more stitches to come, but yeah, a quilt top brimming with joy!

Four years ago I stitched these blocks for Jodi's Seedling Quilt sampler quilt. Then at some point I made a couple more with the papers. Then I decided to indulge in a quilt of just these blocks. I ordered the kit with my special request, receiving more than I could have dreamed. Then slowly, slowly more blocks came together. Last December I finished that arc, then for several weeks I have been in the not quite as slow process of putting all that work into one quilt top. Much remains, haha! But on this sunny Humboldt morning, I have an EPP project not lying in pieces here and there. Currently it's draped over the couch, probably where it will end up once it's truly done. I'll consider that part later, as well as putting away all the shapes I borrowed from other collections, since I added an additional row to Jodi's design. I robbed Peter to pay Paul to make this baby, but am SO GLAD I DID!

A big project (and lots of little ones)

 

Definitely a scrap quilt, but one so dear to my heart.

Stitching has been my balm lately. Writing has not, but that's fine. Instead I'll tell you about the quilt, or half of it, pictured above. And mention some wee darlings that keep me smiling.

So the Cornflower quilt.... I am pretty much head over heels for this English paper pieced marvel designed by Jodi Godfrey from her book, The Seedling Quilts. I was infatuated while making the blocks, adding an extra row because I just kept finding great fabric combos to turn into ONE MORE BLOCK. Lol. All were edged in green diamonds of various shades, then black on-point squares act as the glue, in a manner of speaking. But it's one thing to make a heap of adorable blocks, another animal sewing them all together. Stitching the rows was easy-peasy, but then....

Then those rows have to be attached. To each other. Ahem.

Now, I've made three other wholly EPP'ed quilts; two were of 1.5" hexies, the other a Cherish quilt, also designed by Jodi. What I've found is boy is it way easier to sew 4" sides at a time than 1.5" sides, then rearrange the whole kit'n'kaboodle. All I remember from Cherish is trying to match up the points, a little futzy, and while there is some of that on Cornflower, those four-inch squares make for minimal matchy-matchy, and that's a GOOD THING!

Purposefully I asked my husband to hold up the half-completed quilt from the back, in order to show how many papers are necessary as well as keep the top a secret until I finish, which might be in a few days! I would absolutely make this again, well, as soon as a slot opens up in the rota, HAH! I'm not going to list all the different EPP quilts I have going, that would be embarrassing. But I will say I've sewn plenty of stars, a few 2" hexies made from 2" crowns, most of an Ice Cream Soda block, and a lot of fabrics cut for more stars, Ice Cream Soda blocks, etc. And half of a machine-pieced baby quilt as well.

Yes, lots of sewing going on. And that's just fine for the lately rainy weather, more coming next week. My right shoulder is behaving, or I'm mindful of taking breaks. On those breaks I edit The Hawk, and ponder what might happen with my current series. Pondering is good when there's heaps of hand-sewing to keep me busy.

I've also been reading an old fave novel from my teens; August, by Judith Rossner. So well written, such marvelous characters, such a treat for rainy days when my own fiction is, well, on the back burner. Highly recommended!