This and that

Yesterday afternoon I took time off. Time off from computer, exercising, cooking, cleaning...you get the idea. I sat on the couch and read magazines that had been piling on the mail table (Vogue Knitting, Vogue Patterns...didn't get to the new Burda!) and I finished reading the book for my book club. The book is the Paris Wife by Paula McLain and I enjoyed it very much. I will review it later over at Goodreads; although it is fiction it deals with Ernest Hemingway's first wife. Don't you love the shirtdress on the cover?

Courtesy of Amazon.com

I have been blocking the cardigan I'm knitting and now when I am reading to start putting it together to finish it.

 Filati Cardigan

I also will finish this quirky and fun little cushion I crocheted.

The pattern comes from Attic 24


I also cut a beautiful silk to make Burda   which I already had traced but because of the cut on sleeves I couldn't find wide enough fabric to use for it.  The silk is from Metro Textiles from a couple of years ago. I was very nervous cutting this out, my first time on a slippery silk. Of course I have used Bemberg rayon for many linings  but never silk.

I found a nice velvet at Joann's to use for my son's wizard hat. Rhonda was very generous in offering me her quilted fabric, but my son was set in black with blue accents. I will have to quilt the fabric to get the look he wants.

While at Joann's I saw that they had quilt fabrics on sale and I couldn't resist on getting these

they will be a quilt for my in-renovation bedroom. By the way if painting was just about painting it would be a piece of cake, the priming is what is killing me.

Today I'm working on the wizard's hat, since my son is home from school I will be able to try on the pattern and see how it fits him.

Happy sewing, knitting, crocheting, quilting and reading everyone!

Mystery Books

Cindy asked me who was my favorite mystery writer after I confessed to loving this genre.

P.D. James is who first comes to mind. I love that her mysteries are complex, wonderful stories with very well developed characters. Inspector Dagliesh which most of her novels are about is a policeman that writes poetry; reading each book is like reading about a friend you have known for years (and I have). I'm anxiously waiting for the next one, I worry because Ms James is now in her eighties. She also wrote two novels with female detective Cordelia Grey, but she never pursued this series, which received critical acclaim.

My next favorite is Elizabeth George who writes the series for Inspector Lynley. I love these books for the same reasons that I love P.D. James. Ms. George novels are grittier and more emotional with just as captivating stories and characters.

I have read many different authors that I enjoy, you can link to my GoodReads page on my sidebar if you are curious. You won't go wrong picking up a book by either one of these wonderful mystery writers!