Saturday, May 4, 2013

A Note from Alice's Tulips Author Sandra Dallas



Tulip Quilt Block

Welcome to the free, online Quilters' Book Club.  This month we'll be reading and discussing Alice's Tulips by Sandra Dallas.  So grab the book from your local library and come join us!  Here's a note from the author, providing some background information on the book: 

Author's Note from Sandra Dallas

Several years ago, my daughter and I found a Civil War-era Friendship Quilt in an antiques shop in Denver. The names were wonderful, and I knew I wanted to use them in a novel. Not long afterward, while reading a quilt book, I came across "Alice's Tulips," the name of a quilt pattern, and thought it would make a terrific book title. I also knew I wanted to write a novel made up of letters. But I wasn't sure I could pull off a story about the Civil War. I am a westerner, and all my novels take place in my part of the country. Still, I spent the first five years of my life on a farm in Virginia, and as a girl, I read everything I could find on the Civil War. But more important, Alice's Tulips is not a book about war. It's not filled with battles and troop movements and politics. It's a story of women left behind during wartime.

Alice Keeler Bullock is the most difficult character I've created. The narrators of my other novels are constant. They deal with life's problems because they have inner strength, because they are true to themselves. Alice is different. You don't like her much at the beginning; I didn't like her much. But she grows; she grew on me. The challenge was to take this shallow young woman and make her into somebody readers would admire.

Incidentally, I quilt a little bit, although I'm not very good at it. But just as lousy cooks can be avid cookbook readers, I devour quilt books, and I wanted to incorporate some of that information into Alice's Tulips. I didn't want Alice to fall under the category of "quilt novel," however. In other words, Alice is not a novel about quilting; instead, it's a novel whose characters happen to be quilters. That's why I put the quilt lore into blurbs preceding each chapter.
http://www.blind.state.ia.us/book-discussion-guide-alices-tulips

Have you ever made a Civil War themed quilt or a friendship quilt?  Inquiring minds want to know!  Please answer in the comments section below.  By doing so, you are also entering your name in a give-away for Jennifer Chiaverini's latest book, Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker.  The winner will be announced on June 1.  (Remember that if you receive my posts via email, you must click through to my blog to be able to comment or see the comments of others.)

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.
 

21 comments:

  1. I'm working on a Farmer's Wife Sampler quilt in civil war era fabrics...does that count? My book is on hold at the library, hopefully it will come in soon. Looking forward to this read!

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    1. I just started making The Farmers's Wife quilt too, using scrappy colors though. How many blocks have you made so far?
      I haven't made many & have started with the easier ones first.

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    2. I started this February but I only have 18 blocks so far. I am piecing the blocks the old fashioned way (rotary cutting), some of these blocks have over 50 pieces in a 6 inch block...very challenging. I love it though. Good luck with yours...would love to share pics when they get done (in a year or two lol)

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  2. That is so pretty. I really like it.

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  3. I have a Civil war quilt going now and have had fun picking my fabrics.
    I love the tulip block you made. The blue really pops!

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  4. I have a fascination with the civil war & look forward to reading this book.
    I started to make a Barbara Brackman Civil War quilt several years ago, but have yet to finish it.

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  5. I think I'll buy Alice's Tulips for my Kindle and read along. As for me, this is the year of my Civil War quilts. 1 is a BOM from my LQS to observe the 150th battle of Gettysburg. Another is a two-sided quilt - one side an old BOM done in CW prints and the other will be Sister's Choice blocks made from the scraps. I have a few more CW ideas in my mind and once they are all done, the scraps will be integrated back into the general population.

    OK, already on the Kindle...

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  6. lcrr_khs, did you find the Kindle version at Amazon? I'm taking a short break from a quilt that must be done before graduation next Saturday, but I could get it from Amazon on another break, I hope.

    I have never done a Civil War quilt or a friendship quilt - they're just done with lots of love (and a bit of blue verbage on this one!)

    Laura

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    1. Laura, yes I could get it on my Kindle for $8.50 - $9, which I thought was a fine price.

      Once you start the book, you don't want to stop. I've already read 2 chapters....

      Kathleen S.
      Normal, IL

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  7. My book is somewhere between the Amazon and my Tokyo home. When I went to a museum last summer, I bought a book of quilting history but have not thought of making a quilt yet using those patterns.
    I have made one friendship quilt. When members of our "International Quilters" left Japan, we all used to make a signed kimono block for them to take to remember us by. I think at least one member sent us a picture of her assembled quilt.One year ago I made one block for a departing friend. Since I am the one who stays, I will not have any blocks to remember friends unless I make them myself. Maybe that is why I value my blogging friends so highly ... they stay as close as my laptop.

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  8. I've done a few table runners as gifts in civil war prints and have some new patterns for wall hangings to try. I do make all kinds of quilts and do a lot of scrappy quilts.thank you for the block patterns

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  9. I purchased the book "Alice's Tulips" for my Kindle and just started reading it last night.

    I have just started a Farmer's Wife BOM and Dear Jane BOM.

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  10. Yes I have worked on Civil War themed quilts. Doing one now too.

    This book sounds interesting and yet reminds me of Gone With the Wind which had a lot to do with the women left behind during the Civil War. And then there's Scarlett which we hate in the beginning and learn to love and feel sorry for in the end.

    That being said, I live in Tara, where Margaret Mitchells' story was written about. She visited her actual relatives that lived around here that actually lived through that war. She gathered information from her relatives and wrote her story. I personally have a collection of items from the Civil War that I find in my yard every time I dig to plant flowers or tomatoes. Found a big pot two summers ago. LOL!

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  11. I am collecting or "researching" the quilts made during that time period and figure out what I want to do. I have a couple of books on the civil war quilts but haven't started anything yet.

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  12. I have many blocks done for Sylvia's bridal sampler, but they are in modern fabrics. Tried a few Dear Jane blocks and did make a small sampler from the Jane WasNuts class at Quilt University, and have worked up EQ patterns for a lot of blocks in Simply Insane...too many ideas ,too little time.
    Becky Preston/ Rebecca955@aol.com

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  13. A few years ago our guild show theme was civil war so I did a sampler then, I still have leftover fabric so I need to make some more. I really enjoy all books by Sandra Dallas.

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  14. I love the cute wildflower seeds & envelope. Very thoughtful & resourceful!

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    1. Sorry, I just read about the children's teacher gifts & got the pages mixed up somehow.

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  15. I have a Civil War themed quilt on my quilt stand, waiting to be finished. I've already quilted 100 hours on it, but, I'm only about a quarter finished, and I stopped a long time ago. I really need to finish this, since it's for my MIL. I read Alice's Tulips when I finished the other Sandra Dallas book. A friend told me that I just had to read it, so, I did.

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  16. I have never made a Civil War themed quilt before. I liked the idea of the 4 patch square and then the solid square, so for my block this month, I made a 9 patch(wanted more colors). I intend to make a quilt like this soon though.

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  17. I used friendship stars in my sashing of a black/white BOM quilt for my granddaughter's high school graduation this year. I love Mrs Lincoln's Dressmaker book. I make Split 9-patch quilts a lot--HST and squares. I will start with the group in June.

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