Shenandoah Valley Books and Misc Quilts

It is one of those days, not much to post, not much energy for anything. So I thought I'd share some misc stuff with you. I just finished the above book - it was WONDERFUL! Actually it is the 3rd in a series you have to read! They are written by Emilie Richards and are about people who live in the Shenandoah Valley area. They are wonderful stories about people and their lives, with intersting ties to quilts/quilting - but not just stuck in there to make it a story with quilts. The quilt always plays an important role to the character and her life. The series started out to be a trilogy but in this last book that was just released, it says they have signed on the author to do more so she is turning it into a series! I'm so excited about that! Each book could be read independantly of the others, but if you like reading - I say read them in order. Especially the first book, you learn a lot about the background of the one characters that shows up in each book. Book 1 is "Wedding Ring" and tells a story of 3 generations of women who do not get along, but some quilts bring them together and help them discover things about themselves and their family. Book 2 is called "Endless Chain" and is about Elisa who is a Guatemalain refugee and her dark past, and pulls in some history of the area to parallel her story with a runaway slave during the civil war. (Yes once again a quilt plays an important role in some secrets about Elisa's life). And now just released is "Lovers Knot" where we learn about Kendra and her husbands links to his grandmother's quilt and the history of the mountain. I won't say much more because I guarantee you will love the books and I don't want to spoil the stories!

A week or so ago I promised you some more pictures from the retreat I went to in July. Well here some are from show and tell. These first few were just some fun quilts that were shown.

But look at the one below! Isn't is gorgeous! The applique is all done in wool! Now who would have thought of that! I've even worked with wool, but never thought about using it for just the appliqued pieces in a quilt like this. The pattern is from Lori Smith and is called Heirloom Stitches. Patti is working on version of this quilt and you may have seen some of her blocks she has done - they are gorgeous also!

Probably one of my favorites though was just a reproduction tumbler quilt (below). Isn't it wonderful! I"ve been slowly cutting out tumblers for about a year now from 4" fabric strips of reproduction fabrics I've been trading with an online friend. She of course has her finished (or almost finished). Me - I'm still dinking at it! But I can't wait to have a tumber quilt all for myself! I just loved this one.