Hi! Happy Weeeknd! Gratuitous photos of my paper piecing from earlier this week because I cannot post without some photos....

A couple of things:

- Blair of wise craft fame interviewed me about QuiltEssential over on her blog. I was so happy to share more about my book and to talk a little bit about the writing process. Pop over there to read the interview and for a chance to win a copy of your own.

- Quilt market is in less than a week and I will be there! I'll be signing books at the Stash Books booth on Sunday at 11:00. If you are at market, please stop by and say hello. I'd love to meet you.

- There are just a few bags of smalls scraps left in the shop, so if you want one, grab them before they are gone.

Ok. I think that's it. I've got big sewing plans for the weekend. You?

The shop has been re-opened. Books! Camera Straps! Everything is there. Please take a look if you are so inclined.

Thank you and happy weekend!

Although the calendar says September and there are traces of fallen leaves, it feels decidedly like summer here. Highs in the mid-90's, killer humidity and a non-stop AC unit  - you get the picture. It's too hot to be outside most of the day. After dinner, when most of the busy-ness of the day is done, the only thing I have been wanting to do is lie on my bed and read. And as such, I thought I'd share the list of books I've finished since my last list.

The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout

And the Mountains Echoes by Khaled Hosseini

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

The English Girl by Daniel Silva (I loved this thriller so much that I started back at the beginning of the series and read The Kill Artist and am half finished with The English Assassin.)

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

That puts my total summer reading count at 17 books. Not too shabby!

In a somewhat spur of the moment decision on Friday night, I started pulling fabrics for a new batch of camera straps. It's been a very long time since I've made any, mostly because I was busy writing a book and then recuperating from writing said book. And so now seemed like as good of a time as any to jump back in. The girls are back in school. I am finished traveling for a couple of months. I don't have a big project on my plate at the moment. So, there you have it: camera straps coming soon.

I've chosen fabrics for four colorways and am thinking of adding a fifth one. Any requests for color combinations? I'm all ears.

In other news, a large box of books arrived here this week! I cannot tell you how surreal it is to know that QuiltEssential is out in the world. I am thrilled with how QuiltEssential came together and hope you will enjoy it, too. I'll be adding those to the shop soon as well and will be happy to sign them however you want me to - for you, for someone else, whatever you desire. There should be some scrap bags and some bundles of destashed fabrics for sale in the near future, too. I don't think there will be one huge shop restock, but rather, I'll add things as I finish them. At least, that's my plan. Regardless, I will let you know before anything I list anything. Sound good?

Crazy, but so good, right?

Hi there. We escaped to the mountains, spending a week in Glacier National Park and Yellowstone. It was glorious - the mountains, the lakes, the wildlife AND being off the grid. No TV, no phone, no wifi. Perfect.

Right before we left, the robins hatched. When we came home, the nest was empty. I'm feeling blessed to have seen this little slice of new life.

Without electronic distrations while we were gone, I read 6 books. Here's a list in case you are looking for some summer reading. I recommend them all.

Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton Disclafani

The Last Summer of the Camperdowns by Elizabeth Kelly

The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls

The Light Between Two Oceans by M. L. Stedman

Have you read anything recently that you'd recommend? I'm always looking for a good book. Or three.

In other news, everything in the studio has been painted - floors (!), walls, ceilings, trim and new built-ins. I'm getting ready to move everything back in (as soon as our A/C gets fixed - can you say HOT?!?) and plan on doing some de-stashing within the next month so stay tuned. I've also got a handful of projects that I'm finishing this week so I should have some goodies to share with you soon.

I am completely overwhelmed by the amazing comments and response you all had to my book news. I read each and every comment as it came in and want to thank you all for your enthusiasm. After working quietly behind the scenes and keeping the project under wraps for so long, it was wonderful to be able to blab about it. I am super excited to share even more about the book over the coming months.

We started ripping out the carpet on our third floor at the end of last week. This space is one larger room which doubles as a guest room and play room with a large walk-in closet, which has been my little sewing studio. At first glance, the pine subfloor looked like it was in great condition. I was very hopeful that we'd be able to sand it and paint it.

Of course, it didn't work out as planned. As more carpet and particle board was removed, we found all sorts of old holes patched with random boards and plywood. On to Plan B.

New pine floors were laid and have been sanded. For about a minute I thought about putting hardwood in, but I really don't want to worry about that floor. I want to be able to baste quilts on it and work on paintings without worrying. I also want the girls to feel like they can get messy and be creative without me freaking out about the floor. So the new floor will be painted by me. The walls and the woodwork are getting a fresh coat, too. I know this is going to eat up a lot of my energy and time over the next weeks, but I am determined to get it done as quickly as possible so I can start using that space.

So to wrap it up, I'm floored - by your sweet comments about my book (thank you, thank you, thank you) and this crazy project I've gotten myself into.

And today I turned 42. I have a very good feeling about this year. Very good, indeed.

About last year at this time, I got the news that my book project was a go.

Yes.

I wrote a book!

It's still kind of hard to believe, even after having done all the work, but I did it. I wrote a book.

QuiltEssential is not a book of projects, but rather a reference guide for all aspects of quilting. It's my sincere hope that it will inspire quilters to start bringing their own designs to reality. It is chock full of different subjects like choosing a color palette, how to calculate fabric requirements, a look at various forms of quilting and instructions for different piecing and assembly methods. And that list is just a start! There is so much more including profiles on nine amazing quilters which will hopefully inspire you further.

To say I am excited is an understatement. I'm not sure I can put in words how wonderfully rewarding this experience was for me. Throughout the process, I enjoyed having a concrete project to work on that stretched my brain in the best ways. I did miss making things and blogging about them, but I hope that you now understand why much of the last year was radio silence on the blog. Thank you for sticking with me even when there wasn't much to see.

QuiltEssential will be published in September by Stash Books in North America, Bloomsbury in the UK and Sally Milner in Australia. You can pre-order on Amazon. The book looks different there - this cover is the final one and although the author info says that I write for Sew Mama Sew, I don't.  I will have some books available for pre-sale in my shop as well. More on that soon!

Also important to note: When I link to products on Amazon, like my book and the items in the sidebar, I am paid a small referral fee in the form of an Amazon store credit. I use this credit to finance the purchase of even more craft books and some supplies. Just so you know.

I've been knitting a little bit. A couple of rounds here and there on this project. I've got another onein the car that comes with me to piano lessons and volleyball games.It's slow going, but steady, just the kind of work I need at the moment.Something to keep my hands busy and quiet my mind.

I've been sewing some, too. Little things that are not at all newsworthy. I want to sew big things, like dresses and quilts and then more quilts,but my days are pretty full at the moment. I'm hoping for a few hoursin a row at some point this weekend to get one quilt top basted. Thenmaybe next weekend I could quilt it.

Bookwise, I've just finished The Tiger's Wife and started the new Tana French book. Heather Ross Prints has been devoured by myself and Jane. I've already designed something and had Spoonflower print it on fabric. Tea towel calendar, anyone? But more on that later...

Enjoy the weekend.

(Don't forget to enter the giveaway for Knot Thread Stitch - you have until Sunday night!)