Wonkiness

It's been a while since I've done any Wonky Stars and they used to be one of my favorite blocks to piece.  I saw a cute quilt that had a star within a star and I knew that's what I wanted to try.  This quilt is "late" by virtue of the fact that they waited to find out the gender of the baby until the birth, so this was a quick option that came together in very little time at all.

I also finally stopped procrastinating and fixed a pile of stuffed animals and toys that my children have been begging me to fix for a while.  They were taking over my sewing table.

Dressed for Trek

Pioneer Trek is coming up for the youth of our church next week, so it felt good to finish up the skirt. 

 Here it is with the apron:

 Meanwhile, another family at church is in the process of getting their house up on the market and packed away their sewing machine.  They could find everything except for a pioneer skirt on Amazon, so they gave me the materials and asked if I would sew her one.  Gratefully, the skirt is easier than the apron to sew together.  Phew.  Trek sewing is officially done! (Knock on wood).

All Quiet on the Western Front

As part of my Classics Challenge I chose to read All Quiet on the Western Front.  It actually falls under 2 categories, because it was originally written in German, but I'm using it for category #2: A 20th century classic - any book published between 1900 and 1968.   This book was first published as a book in 1929.  Erich Maria Remarque, a World War I veteran, wrote this book, so even though it's fiction it is an extremely realistic depiction of a soldier's life in the trenches during World War I.  

A couple of themes stood out to me in this book.  1- The difficulty of soldiers had returning to civilian life after witnessing the atrocities of war.  Paul Baümer had a particularly difficult time returning home during his 14 day leave.  2- The brotherhood that forms within a group of soldiers when planted together in extreme circumstances.   They probably wouldn't have been friends in regular society, but as they fight side by side and endure the unthinkable together they form a permanent bond.  In some cases Baümer served with the same men for almost 3 years as one by one they are all killed or injured.  

This book is heart-breaking and riveting until the very last page.  A little side note: This is one of the books that was later banned and burned in Nazi Germany.  I guess Hilter didn't want anyone thinking of war as anything but glorious. 

  

Trek Apparel

I was asked to make a skirt and apron for a youth who is attending Pioneer Trek over the Spring Break.  It's really outside of my comfort zone, but it's for a good cause, so I agreed to do it.  I finished the apron this morning.  It's not my finest hour of sewing, but it's done. 

Cinching the waist and attaching the ribbon to it was the hardest part for me, but I do kind of like the pockets.  I don't think whether it's stitched perfectly will matter much since they're going to be walking the dusty/muddy plains of Northern Oklahoma.  It just has to last for 3 days. 

Next up - the skirt!

Another Wade Finish

I finished up the other Wade quilt this week.  It's all ready for this weekend's baby shower. 

 The turtle is still my favorite part.

 I used a chevron flannel for the back, so that it's snuggly.

More Scrappiness

I had so much fun making the baby girl scrappy pinwheels that I decided to do a baby boy version.  I pieced together 8 blocks that measured 10.5" unfinished, and then made HSTs out of them for pinwheels.  I always love seeing the various fabrics I've used in previous projects.  It brings back fond memories, and I was also finally able to combine scrap piles and reduce my scrap bags, so it's a win-win in my book.

I ran outside to take a quick picture when it was barely sprinkling.  It's the best weather I'm going to get for a couple more days.

Companion Quilt Top

I got this guy all stitched up this week during nap times.  My favorite part is definitely the turtle.

...and here's my little "helper."  He was fairly positive the camera was there for him and not the quilt top.

Reading Challenge Beginnings

I always start out the year with an easier book in the challenge.  I'm not sure why I do this, but maybe it's to ease me into what's coming next.  Anyway, Agatha Christie is a no brainer for me.  I love her writing.  I get quickly sucked in and I'm done within a day.  She seriously had the most sick and twisted and brilliant mind ever.  How in the world did she come up such amazing murder mystery plots? 

I chose And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie for #6:  A classic crime story, fiction or non-fiction.  I chose this particular one, because it's her most read book on Goodreads, and I've heard it said that it is one of her best books.  
 "First, there were ten - a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal - and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. And only the dead are above suspicion."

I honestly did not catch on to the clues.  I had absolutely no idea who was behind in until the very end.  That's part of the reason why I love her writing.  Most of the time when I read a book I can tell exactly where the plot is headed, and I've figured out the "villain" early on in my reading.  Agatha Christie is so good at introducing characters and swaying how they're viewed multiple times within just a few pages.  I don't know if I would classify this book as one of her best, but it is definitely worth the read, and yes, it's very good.