Anna Scott Graham's Blog, page 34

Eurovision, Mother's Day, and a near quilt top finish

One row from the quilt; I LOVE this elephant print!

A year ago during our trip to the UK, we watched for the first time the Eurovision Song Contest. We lived in Britain for nearly eleven years and not once during our stay did we indulge, but it just seemed like the right thing twelve months ago. Forward to this past weekend and we deeply enjoyed the first two hours of the final, although we didn't bother with the voting part of the show. I wrote down tunes I appreciated, will incorporate them into my music player. We laughed that at the time of living there we simply didn't appreciate what has been broadcast for several decades. But then, I still don't watch cricket or European football.

("Cha Cha Cha" was my fave production; WOW! Finland knows how to showcase a song, hehehe.)

Mother's Day was marvelous; we went to breakfast early, then headed to the beach for high tide. It was my hubby and me, our kids having visited a few weeks back. After the beach, I hung out at home, the weather a magical mix of sun and heat for Humboldt that felt nearly irregular for how spectacular it was. I did a little sewing, but it was too beautiful to stay inside. We ran some errands, picked up lunch, then ate on the back patio, soaking in the rays, then ducking under the table's umbrella when the heat became too warm. I did some hand stitching outside while my hubby planted watermelon and cantaloupe plants. I joined him, getting some yellow and pink petunias settled into containers. The rest of the afternoon was a pleasant mix of gardening and sun worshiping. Dinner was courtesy of our youngest daughter, then we spent the evening imbibing in European musical artists. Definitely a day filled with joy and relaxation.

Today wasn't as sunny, so after some revisions in the early morning, I spent the rest of the day sewing; only one row of a baby quilt remains to be pieced, then attached, then that project will be ready to be turned into a quilt sandwich. I didn't mind being outside for much of yesterday because a bright day can be quite rare, the cloudy ones more common. My hobbies suit Humboldt's climate, but I have no trouble mixing up the pastimes. Or slipping back into old faves when gray skies dominate.

Edits in my fictional WIP are coming along well. Life is currently in a nice groove, and yes some of my contentment is related to lengthening days and warm temperatures. Spring and summer here is directly related to a mild rise in the thermometer and a little uninterrupted sun. But I'm also happy with low cloud and fog. Adaptability is key to overall happiness, shuffling hobbies and at times attitudes according to the weather, a holiday, or special event. Twenty years ago Eurovision held no appeal. Now I' m reveling in those tunes, and I look forward to next year's broadcast from Sweden. In the meantime, fabric awaits cutting, as does my novel. Time to cha cha cha, ha ha ha!

Land and sea

Just past the large boulders is where the sand drops off about ten feet to the shore.

We bought some plants today, then went to the beach, hence the title. Cloud cover should lift tomorrow and we'll put the various flowers, fruit, and veg into the ground then. I've been considering starting some pumpkins from seed, but hesitated because last year's were such a bust. Finding nicely sprouted plants at the store pushed me over the edge and I'm toppling into minor gardening with my fingers crossed.

In addition to squash, I chose a cantaloupe plant and a dozen petunias split into two six-packs. And a coleus for our planter that dwells in the shade, into which I'll put one yellow and one pinkish-purple petunia merely because that leaves ten, which is plenty to scatter where the deer and other critters won't eat them. My husband chose a watermelon plant, he LOVES watermelon. No idea how the fruit will do with our mild temps, but experimentation is good. And the petunias should grow well, at least those I put in full sun, lol.

Safely transported home in the trunk of our car, now waiting for tomorrow's planting fest!

Because we chose nothing needing immediate refrigeration, we then headed to our fave little beach spot, and to our shock the erosion has truly made for a cliff about twenty feet from the car park. Fortunately about thirty or forty feet along the shore the sand hasn't been wrenched away, so we wandered that direction, then headed toward the waves, low tide providing plenty of sand on which to trod. I collected some shells; the beach is littered with them. We marveled at the amount of sand that had been washed away, nature's power truly remarkable, then watched as others joined us, one golden retriever racing toward the ocean, romping in the receding water, then shaking itself thoroughly.

I'd planned on sewing this afternoon, our outing a spur-of-the-moment decision. As we drove home, I considered the flora and seashells, and how being rooted in such a place provides a plethora of experiences. Maybe the garden will do well this year, although my hubby's green beans are having a hard time compared to last year's abundant crop. Perhaps the next time we go to the ocean the shore will have recovered some, or parking there will be an exercise in trusting our car won't fall off a cliff. Faith is required for the garden too; if nothing else, I'm giving pumpkins a second chance. Or maybe they're giving me another go. Either way, by land and sea I'm enjoying the outdoors. The writing and sewing will wait for me.

Something old, something new....

Pretty prints!

Nothing borrowed but definitely plenty of blue; so goes a quilt back, which I often don't mention except in making one. Yet as I pressed open the seams of this particular quilt back, I considered the phrase something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue, although none of the above fabrics were borrowed. Yet I could say I robbed Peter to pay Paul, in that the two small lower left prints are remnants of what my eldest granddaughter chose for a possible quilt ages ago, back when she was three and I took her shopping on my fabric escapades. She was an enabler if ever I met one, gushing at how pretty was this print, how nice was that fabric, how perfect was that bolt Grandma, LOL! She suggested a quilt for one of her friends and I happily acquiesced in collating a wide assortment of spring-themed fabrics that after time were used for other purposes. And on this quilt back, the last bits fill out a corner, with a tad leftover that I'll use in a future Cornflower quilt block, once I finish those already waiting to be stitched together.

Robbing Peter to pay Paul can be set alongside keeping the left hand ignorant of what the right hand accomplishes; who knew five or so years ago, when I was innocently introducing my granddaughter to the wonderful world of fabric, how rudely interrupted those outings would be with Covid. Or that the quilt she was planning wouldn't occur, or how one of her beloved uncles wouldn't be here to enjoy a post-pandemic life with us. This was the theme I was aiming at on my previous entry, but it's definitely best tackled no later than now, an after-lunch kind of post where I've had a coffee, snapped pics of the quilt back, but have yet to lay down a layer of batting, then affixing the top. Kind of a middle of the day thing, smack in the middle of something old, something new, nothing borrowed, most certainly blue. The old fabric is the dark pink floral and butterfly print, perhaps purchased at my granddaughter's behest. Or maybe I bought it on a separate store run, but I chose a couple yards, needing a hefty dose of that gorgeous cotton in my stash.

Something new are the two large cuts that border the dark pink; I picked those up a few weeks ago on a shopping trip with my daughters. Chosen specifically to use as quilt backs, I placed them at the top and bottom so I'd get to keep a smidgen of them for scrap usage, maybe in a Cornflower block perhaps, hehehe.

Nothing borrowed.... Nothing borrowed.... Hmmmm.... Yeah, hard to borrow fabric for sewing, unless you give it back in a new guise to the one who loaned it out.

As for the blue.... Blue is my favourite color in all variety of shades. These blues fill out the left side nicely, and I'll align the top to start at that side so I can save even more of the newer fabrics for scrap.

The left side isn't aware how the right will be underutilized, it merely does its job and will be pretty when the quilt is flipped over. that's all a quilt back is really for, just to keep the batting fibres from sticking to everything, ha ha. Sometimes a quilt back is a fussy bunch of cuts, but I keep mine to as simple as I can get away with, preferring the front to receive all the glory. And sometimes that is what life is about; one hand flashes a wedding ring while the other remains unadorned. Yet the hands know nothing differently. I'm right-handed, but I bet my right hand has no idea it's my preference, nor does the left grasp the gold band on one of its fingers symbolizing all the great years I've had with my better half. Sometimes knowledge is power, but often ignorance is indeed bliss.

There's more to say about this concerning the writing, but I'll get to that in a subsequent post. Time now to make a quilt sandwich!

Another Monday rolls by

Another rainbow quilt; I'm really into ROYGBIV right now.

I finished up a quilt top today, only a minor snafu in the bottom row; the first two vertical stripes should be at the end of that row, but I didn't notice the mistake until it was far too late to rip out way too much to correct it. Ah so, as my Vodali folks would say.

Otherwise I am very happy with the pattern, which I saw on Cath Hall's Instagram a few weeks ago. I sewed it up as though regular patchwork, nesting seams and all. When I make this design again, I'll avoid using jelly roll cuts, only in that the pinked edges make for a little trickiness when aligned against straight cuts. And I'll mix up the fabrics, using prints for the eight and a half inch squares instead of solids.

Initially I had a different title for today's post, but that was hours ago, and now it's like a different day has occurred. Not that catastrophic drama happened, although my husband had a tooth pulled this afternoon and he's feeling pretty meh. I was going to wax philosophically about how our lives lend themselves to things spinning off in manners we don't predict, kind of a left hand not being aware of what the right hand is doing theme. But now it's nearly six in the evening and I'm tired, not really feeling that sort of entry, although it's a valid point that deserves attention. Maybe I'll tackle it one of these mornings when I have plenty of energy.

For now a quilt top is complete. Revisions are coming along well. A (small) pomegranate tree has joined our garden. And another Monday rolls on past....

Assembly line pastimes

A plethora of pleasing prints, just need more batting.
Today's title isn't meant in a negative manner, merely what I thought when making mug rug sandwiches this afternoon as well as reading through the fictional WIP. Maybe crafting a series lends itself to feeling like ticking off boxes; write a book, write another, write another.... As for the coasters, I have many to make and find working on five or so at a time isn't overwhelming. I stitch some together, then arrange the backing, which today meant sewing pieces I had cut previously, lol. Dig through the scrap batting bag, sew some strips together, plop them between the front and back, then pin. One EPP hexie flower amid these nine-patch tops, and one washed and SHRUNKEN, ha ha! The squares are two and a half inches before laundering, the solid from Kona in Buttercup, the prints Kaffe Fassett jelly roll treats! Some blues, reds, and yellows equal lots of bright joy! And many more of those left to construct.
Kinda like how much remains of my series, ha, ha, uh, ha. In reading over what is now the second book, I have plenty to revise, in that the characters feel a little flat. I barely knew them when writing that novel, was just groping around in a grief-fog. Now the mist has lifted, although some days are slightly cloudy, and of course what I am hoping to create looms long in the distance, similar to all those coasters waiting to be pieced together. Yet writing takes a different level of brain power than sewing, and within the writing revisions are less taxing, for which I am very grateful as I'm suffering from allergies. As I read, I'm making notes within the manuscript, also keeping in my head what needs to emerge in the next round of edits in the guise of more dialogue and endearments between the characters. I feel like I know them pretty well now, and that sense is missing in this rough draft.
It would be like making a coaster without the batting; yeah it would cover an area, but offer no cushion for cups and mugs. The batting is essential, even if it's scraps sewn together, just like taking a rough draft and rewriting weak scenes. Or merely inserting notes for later when I'm feeling less debilitated.
I'm kind of a snotty mess right now, so reading over the manuscript is the perfect level of mental difficulty, as is making coasters. Just small projects keeping me busy. One after another at times, then the creative flow will explode, lol.

Jumping forward in time

View from my bedroom window last night; amid the clouds Venus shines brightly!

Right now I am Future Me, not merely due to achy fingers from perhaps a little too much hand stitching last night. Right now it's 2023, but for the last several weeks I have been living in a fictional era twenty years in the past. Phones weren't ubiquitous, which might be the biggest difference, but it is a large one. Yet I'm leaping into modern times with the next installment of my series, aging my characters and placing smart phones front and center. And in this future, time is a bit.... uncertain, both for how much a character has, and what's happening to everyone around them.

In the future, which coincides with the present, I'm also facing deconstructing, then reconstructing a manuscript. Some of the descriptive hoo haa I typed in February will be omitted, in that much of this cast has already been introduced. In this now second book, I also gave a 'voice' to those living nearby, the neighbors as you will. Employing that element as a manner of description now feels unnecessary, and I'll revise that perspective heavily.

Then there is the fun part of incorporating all the history that now fills my brain. These folks are no longer strangers to me, and I'll plump up their personalities accordingly, as well as gently tweaking a few who in the last couple of months have gained loftier spots in the character food chain.

I have never written a book, then returned to it with this sense of alteration, which could sound strange; every novel requires revisions. But originally this was written as a standalone, it sputtered out at sixty-six K, then received a ridiculous ending which served as a marvelous catalyst to something much larger than its solitary self. That too is new, so I'm going into this second novel with a proverbial walking stick in hand to keep myself steady as I navigate an altered course, both for having plenteous backstory now available and to fend off, or beat back lol, what no longer applies.

This is one process of writing; being open to tearing something apart in order to bring it new life. A seam ripper acts similarly, but takes less active brain power. I'm curious in this initial foray how the slicing and dicing goes. Hopefully I won't suffer too many virtual paper cuts along the way.

Preliminary ruminations

Another series in the making; this coaster is the first of six, all of which were machine-quilted yesterday, woo-hoo!

I just finished reading through my recently completed novel. Or draft of a novel, or rough draft manuscript; different terms for the same thing, the basic completion of a story. I'm pretty pleased with it, which is always a good sensation, also aware of at least a couple of chapter starts that require reworking, as well as other issues every first draft possesses. I'm VERY HAPPY and equally relieved that one of the last chapters over which there was much hand-wringing is actually....great, lol. Great in that for how long I spent on it, those hours were not wasted. For me, rough drafts come together fairly quickly, big revisions occurring later. But a couple of the final chapters were like pulling snot from my guts, yet worth the relative discomfort.

So what happens next? Well.... Tomorrow we're hosting friends for lunch, but Wednesday is a calm morning, probably perfect to open up the manuscript currently deigned as Book 2, despite being written in February. But if I'm being honest, the first chapter of what I'm hoping to label Book 4 emerged last May, wow, that's been a year, hmmm. Anyhoo, this series has a chaotic start in how it is spinning from a small ball of yarn into whatever it's going to end up as, but that's okay. As long as I keep drafts marked correctly.... Oh wait, I think the solo chapter has been assigned Book 3, gotta check that before I wreck all these fine intentions....

L. O. L. These ruminations aren't merely attached to the draft I just finished; a series requires a modicum of consideration, even if the writing flows from a place hard to quantify. Yet if this series is slated for more than 3-4 novels, then yeah I should really line up as many ducks as I can grab. Rubber ducks are better than real ones, in that if I drop some, and invariably I know I will, rubber bounces while an actual duck would probably.... Okay, so I'm not gonna grab any kind of duck, but I might look over the brief outlines I wrote a month-six weeks ago when turning a half-completed book and one separate chapter written last year into a series, ahem. That's a big investment of time, not to mention a large commitment to an expansive cast that is only going to grow. And let me honestly say what stirs the most consternation isn't not finishing this series, but leaving that cast out to dry. I want to do right by these characters, but if I get hit by a bus tomorrow, oh well.

Yet only I will feel the pain, both from abandoning these fictional folks as well as severe injuries or possible death resulting from said demise in being run over. I learned a very valuable lesson when I wrote The Hawk, releasing it in serial form while still writing it, which was: DON'T START A LONG PROJECT AND PUBLISH IT BEFORE IT IS FULLY WRITTEN. Yeah, I *probably* stuck with The Hawk in part due to that method of writing, but OMG was the pressure on myself pretty dang unpleasant. Not that I didn't enjoy writing it, but wow. Just WOW. Lesson learned, won't do that again.

Also in full disclosure, merely mentioning I'm working on a series is fraught with tension, not because I really think I'm gonna get hit by a bus tomorrow or anytime soon, but only in that this series is basically a book and a half, plus a first chapter. Lots of ideas, plot twists, characters, but rather thin in the actual complete draft department. Yet, I can't sit here and deny it exists, even if 90% of it is all in my head. Or maybe 80%. Much of it, okay MOST OF IT. Most of it floats in my brain but dude, it also lingers at the edges of my fingertips, itching and aching to be written. That's an AWESOME sensation, but at the same time it's unrealized, ethereal. I have an ethereal series wafting or more rightly wrapped tightly around me, crying for release.

AAARRRGGHHH!!! What to do... Well, I have a quilt to mail, a coaster to package up, some letters to the grandkids to write. Laundry in both the washer and dryer, and I think I just heard one of those appliances chime. Weeds to pull, lunch to figure out, a cuppa to brew and enjoy, this post to finish. In conclusion, let me say that I am grateful for these novelistic notions regardless of how little is set into virtual stone. The essence is firm enough, hopefully that will translate into further episodes. And no getting hit by a bus or other large transportation device. I just wanna spin a yarn, tell a story, write a novel. On Wednesday maybe, I'll give it another go.

Behind the scenes

A binding being applied.

First off, for the next five and three-quarter months, Gracious Mysteries is free on Smashwords! The second in my That Which Can Be Remembered series, it was originally released as a pre-order, hence the need for a price. However, I'm not really about charging for my novels, so I've set it as a freebie, but only through the Smashwords store. You can check out my entire catalogue on Smashwords, or find my books at other various online retail sites.

Next, my goodness it's nice to 1) have finished my recent WIP. 2) Enjoy some warm temps! 3) Send off the Rainbow quilt and a mug rug to their new home. 4) Faff around with other coasters, binding strips, and myriad quilting hoo haa littering my big table. I did that today amid sunny skies, then went outside and planted six nasturtiums, about the extent of my gardening fever this spring. I truly have nothing in the tank in regard to seedlings, plants, etc. Instead I'm all-in for noveling and sewing. Next week is supposed to be cool, cloudy, with maybe a bit of precipitation, YES! Otherwise I feel a tad guilty being inside when blue skies and warm temps beckon.

I have zero guilt about settling in to read through my latest completed draft, LOL! Once I get through it, then I'll open up Book 2, and then.... Not sure if I'll read it straight or start off with edits, I won't know until I reach that point. A little mystery is good for the soul; I can't have everything nailed down tightly.

As for a quilt on the wall.... Depending on just how cool and cloudy next week ends up, I may try to start sewing that together. I need to choose a solid for corners between large squares, probably something dark, but not dark blue because dark blue squares make up a section. Hmmm.... Need to ponder that one.

Spring is here, days lengthening, not running the heater except first thing in the morning. Not wearing thick socks to bed anymore either, ha ha. Kind of a transitional period, as one novel ends but not yet starting another, quilts here and there, coasters in a pile on my sewing table aching to be machine-quilted. And I really need a haircut, ahem.

If you need a blend of fantasy rooted in a good family saga/women's fic kind of series, check out The Possibility of What If, which leads to Gracious Mysteries, culminating in That Which Can Be Remembered. And if you pick up these novels on Smashwords, they're all free! Happy weekend and if you find my garden mojo, enjoy it thoroughly, hehehe....

A completion to note

Sweet Williams starting to bloom; they deserve a post of their own, lol.

So right before lunch I finished my latest novel. Feels SO GOOD to have that done, in that 1) The last few chapters were a bit balky. 2) Wrapping up a book lately has felt precarious. 3) I am ready for a writing siesta. 4) I'm equally stoked to start (re)working the next installment!

Liberation blends with satisfaction upon reflection, a big project DONE, but more await, which keeps me active. Yeah there's plenty of revisions ahead too, but a series can't start until the first part ends, so in closing one section, another springs to life. Am I shackled to the writing, perhaps. Yet it's a pleasant servitude, one that fills my entire being with a sense of purpose, interest, self-exploration. Why do I choose these characters, what do their motivations say about my view of the world, blah, blah, blah, lol. Yet those are relevant queries that now with a modicum of free time I can consider.

This past weekend with family was the break I needed, stepping away from the fictional, steeped in the familiar. Yesterday morning I sat right down with the novel, writing and rewriting the penultimate chapter. It was hard in that a big emotional scene occurred, and I wanted to give it all due gravity. A slight sorrow lingered the rest of the day, mitigated slightly in Miami's win over Milwaukee in the NBA playoffs, only because I find it fascinating how the #8 seed is up 3-1 over the #1 seed. (We shan't speak about the Lakers' victory, ahem....) This morning in reading over that chapter I made a few alterations, nothing major, merely what the eyes see anew after a good night's sleep. Then I dove into the final chapter, written in fits and starts as scenes ended and hunger demanded I eat breakfast. After a shower, back to the writing, then by half-eleven, my husband texted, asking when I wanted lunch. Just. Another. Ten. Or. Fifteen. Minutes. I messaged back, nearly done with the book!

And suddenly, there was The End. Oh hi there, newly finished story, a rough draft with good intentions. Such a thrill and so complementary to the sunny day, as though spring wrought the tale from my brain. Dude, it's like way hella cool man, LOL!

I'm a California girl by birth, hard to eliminate the lexicon. But this story is done and I'll allow a little dust to gather, then back onto the noveling horse I go.

Amazing surprises

This isn't about writing, sewing, or gardening. This post is about family, appreciation, and love. I was the blessed recipient of a plethora of relatives this past weekend; my two daughters, four grandkids, and one son-in-law arrived without prior warning, although my husband was in on the plan. Tears fell  as one group descended Friday night, then laughter rang when the second clan turned up Saturday morning. I earned over twelve thousand steps yesterday keeping up with grandchildren, their parents, and love that enveloped all of us. Yes I am thoroughly exhausted, ha ha, but the memories made are the kind that sustain for ages.

One of the gifts I received is the above sign, painted by my eldest grandson; his mum chose four pics from a local craft shop, also bringing paints and brushes. The grandkids were let loose to embellish however they wished and the results were stunning, heartwarming, liberating. Children's imaginations are so unencumbered, their glee invigorating, their colour choices magnificent. I could wax philosophical, instead I'll let their art infuse you with the grand joy we all shared. Now to decide where in my office to hang these treasures, then display them not only as a proud and pleased grandmother but as an art lover, grateful for this precious moment in time.