Home Circle Quilt Block and a Family of Friends in A Thread of Truth

 

Home Circle Quilt Block

Do you love to quilt AND love to read?  I invite you to join the free, online Quilters' Book Club.  Each month, we read a book, discuss it through comments on my blog posts, and then make a quilt block to represent that book.  I research several potential blocks to go with the book's themes, setting, main characters, and events.  And I find the patterns free on the internet, making it easy for everyone to access.  Each member can choose the block or blocks they'd like to make.

To join, become a follower of my blog so you won't miss any blog post.  To make it super convenient, you can also sign up for my posts to be delivered right to you via email.    

Our book to read and discuss during April 2014 is A Thread of Truth by Marie Bostwick.  It's the second book of her Cobbled Court Quilts series.  In the book, the quilters and employees of Cobbled Court Quilts are like a family, embracing Ivy and her children and helping them get a fresh start.

If you'd like to create a block that represents this creation of family among friends expressed in the book, here are some ideas to get you started:

Eight Hands Round Quilt Block shown below in a slightly different color arrangement

Home Circle Quilt Block shown above

New Home Quilt Block - you will need to adjust the color arrangement as shown below to make it a New Home block

 

Eight Hands Round Quilt Block

 

 

New Home Quilt Block

Evelyn set out to New Bern, Connecticut, all on her own from Texas, but when it came to opening Cobbled Court Quilts --- and keeping it open --- she had the support of a wonderful circle of women. Some of these women work for her; some are simply fellow quilters.  Yet all pitched in to help in a way once seen only in families.  What one thing had to happen before these women could come together?  How have you gone about building such a foundation of friendship in your own life?  Inquiring minds want to know!  By commenting, you'll be entering this month's give-away of Marie Bostwick's newest book APART AT THE SEAMS, just out!  Three lucky people will each win a copy, courtesy of Kensington Publishing!  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others.  The winner will be announced on May 1.

Looking ahead to the May Book Selection: These Is My Words: the Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine by Nancy Turner, Historical Fiction based on the life of the author's great-grandmother, set in Arizona Territory, 1881-1901
 
You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Stitcher's Square Quilt Block and the Serenity of Working with One's Hands.

Stitcher's Square Quilt Block and the Serenity of Working with One's Hands

Stitcher's Square Quilt Block Pattern Information

Do you love to quilt AND love to read?  I invite you to join the free, online Quilters' Book Club.  Each month, we read a book, discuss it through comments on my blog posts, and then make a quilt block to represent that book.  I research several potential blocks to go with the book's themes, setting, main characters, and events.  And I find the patterns free on the internet, making it easy for everyone to access.  Each member can choose the block or blocks they'd like to make.

To join, become a follower of my blog so you won't miss any blog post.  To make it super convenient, you can also sign up for my posts to be delivered right to you via email.    

Our book to read and discuss during April 2014 is A Thread of Truth by Marie Bostwick.  It's the second book of her Cobbled Court Quilts series.

An avid quilter, Marie Bostwick has been known to turn to quilting when working through tough life issues --- not unlike the women in A THREAD OF TRUTH. What is it about working with one’s hands that cultivates a sense of serenity? Can you recall a time when quilting, knitting, or some other handiwork helped you through a tough time?  By commenting, you'll be entering this month's give-away of Marie Bostwick's newest book APART AT THE SEAMS, just out!  Three lucky people will each win a copy, courtesy of Kensington Publishing!  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others.  The winner will be announced on May 1.

Looking ahead to the May Book Selection: These Is My Words: the Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine by Nancy Turner, Historical Fiction based on the life of the author's great-grandmother, set in Arizona Territory, 1881-1901
 
You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Hearth and Home Quilt Block and the Main Character in A Thread of Truth.

Hearth and Home Quilt Block and the Main Character in A Thread of Truth

Do you love to quilt AND love to read?  I invite you to join the free, online Quilters' Book Club.  Each month, we read a book, discuss it through comments on my blog posts, and then make a quilt block to represent that book.  I research several potential blocks to go with the book's themes, setting, main characters, and events.  And I find the patterns free on the internet, making it easy for everyone to access.  Each member can choose the block or blocks they'd like to make.

To join, become a follower of my blog so you won't miss any blog post.  To make it super convenient, you can also sign up for my posts to be delivered right to you via email.    

Our book to read and discuss during April 2014 is A Thread of Truth by Marie Bostwick.  It's the second book of her Cobbled Court Quilts series.

The main character in the book is Ivy Peterman.  Ivy flees an abusive husband and ends up in New Bern, Connecticut, where she is befriended by Evelyn Dixon, owner of Cobbled Court Quilts.  In New Bern, Ivy works hard to create a new home for herself and her family.

If you would like to create a quilt block to represent Ivy Peterman, here are some ideas to get you started:

Broken Heart Quilt Block
English Ivy Quilt Block (also called Clover Blossom)
Hearth and Home Quilt Block shown above
Vines at the Window Quilt Block

The most dangerous time for a woman being abused is when she tries to leave someone. Does that explain why Ivy is less than forthcoming with the details of her life? Does that justify lying to her boss? To her caseworker at the shelter? Where would someone in your community go if she was trying to escape from an abusive spouse?  By commenting, you'll be entering this month's give-away of Marie Bostwick's newest book APART AT THE SEAMS, just out!  Three lucky people will each win a copy, courtesy of Kensington Publishing!  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others.  The winner will be announced on May 1.

Looking ahead to the May Book Selection: These Is My Words: the Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine by Nancy Turner, Historical Fiction based on the life of the author's great-grandmother, set in Arizona Territory, 1881-1901
 
You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Snow Quilt Block and the Last Word.

Snow Quilt Block and the Last Word



Snow Quilt Block Pattern Information

Last Word

Today the April rain

Is flecked with snow;
Soft little flakes, wind-tossed,
Run in the rain – lost –
Trying to explain
That winter should remain,
Letting us know
That winter hates to go.
                       
by Leland B. Jacobs

Catkins, leaf buds, and leaf-out all on the same aspen tree

 

More leaf-out

 

Rain in the afternoon turning to snow in the night

 

Have your trees leafed out yet?  Inquiring minds want to know!  By commenting, you'll be entering this month's give-away of Marie Bostwick's newest book APART AT THE SEAMS, coming out the end of this month.  Three lucky people will each win a copy, courtesy of Kensington Publishing!  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others.  The winner will be announced on May 1.

 

You might also enjoy my previous blog post Whirlwind Quilt Block and the Most Welcome Sound of Spring.

Whirlwind Quilt Block and the Most Welcome Sound of Spring

Whirlwind Quilt Block Pattern Information

 

Visitor

 

A spark, a glint,

  a glimpse

  of pixie tidbit.

Bright flits, brisk zips,

  a green-gray blur,

  wings, zings, and whirr -

 

I just heard

  a humming of bird.

 

- Kristine O'Connell George

 

 

 

Do you have hummingbirds at your house?  Have they arrived yet this spring?  Inquiring minds want to know!  By commenting, you'll be entering this month's give-away of Marie Bostwick's newest book APART AT THE SEAMS, coming out the end of this month.  Three lucky people will each win a copy, courtesy of Kensington Publishing!  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others.  The winner will be announced on May 1.

 

You might also enjoy my previous blog post Welcome Spring Quilt and What's on Your Nightstand? 

Welcome Spring Quilt and What's on Your Nightstand?

Welcome Spring Quilt Pattern Information

I'm participating in the monthly feature, What's on Your Nightstand?
Participants post what they've been reading the past month as well as what they're planning to read in the future.

Baby Board Books:
My husband and I have a Grand Book Club with our eleven-month-old grandson who lives in another state.  We sent him some books and bought copies of the same books for us.  His parents read the books to him several times, so he was familiar with them. We got together via Face Time, and my husband read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and Joh Archambault to him while he followed along with his own book. His dad sat with him, but my grandson turned the pages.  I keep all of our book club books together, so we can quickly have a book club "meeting" whenever our grandson is up for one.  A few weeks ago, we were able to have an actual sit-on-my-lap book club time together, which was such fun!

Picture Books:
April is Poetry Month.  This month, I read an old favorite, Hailstones and Halibut Bones by Mary O'Neill, a wonderful poetry book about different colors.  I remember first reading it in 6th grade, and it's still an amazing book!  I also read another poetry book, Handsprings by Douglas Florian, a poetry book about spring.

Middle Grade/Young Adult Books:
I'm an elementary school reading teacher.  I work with small groups of struggling readers.  My third graders are reading Marvin Redpost books by Louis Sachar and absolutely loving them.  There are eight books in the series, each perfect for third graders.  They are chapter books with about 70 pages and enough white space on each page to make it reader-friendly.  We are having a Marvin Redpost Day this Thursday with red clothes, red food, a red poem, and Marvin Redpost activities!

With my fifth grade groups, I'm reading Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan and Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman.   Esperanza Rising is set in post-Revolutionary Mexico and in California during the time of the Great Depression.  It examines the plight of the Mexican farm workers as they struggle to adapt and survive in the United States.  Though fiction, it is based on the life of the author's grandmother.  Night of the Twisters is fiction as well but is based on a 1980 disaster in which a series of tornadoes devastated a Nebraska town.

Book Club Books:
For the free, online Quilters' Book Club, I read A Thread of Truth by Marie Bostwick, second in her Cobbled Court Quilts Series.  It's set in the fictional village of New Bern, Connecticut, very similar to the rural town in Connecticut where the author actually lives.  The author deals very sensitively with the theme of domestic violence.  You can read all my posts about this book here.   

For my local book club, I've just begun reading Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed.  We're planning on seeing the movie together when it comes out later this year.  We've always chosen our books month to month, but we've decided to select books for an entire year - each member choosing one book.  We'll see what we think!

What's on Your Nightstand?  Inquiring minds want to know!  By commenting, you'll be entering this month's give-away of Marie Bostwick's newest book APART AT THE SEAMS, coming out the end of this month.  Three lucky people will each win a copy, courtesy of Kensington Publishing!  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others.  The winner will be announced on May 1.

Looking ahead to the May Book Selection: These Is My Words: the Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine by Nancy Turner, Historical Fiction based on the life of the author's great-grandmother, set in Arizona Territory, 1881-1901        

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Crazy Chicken and Egg Fabric and Crazy Salad.

Crazy Chicken and Egg Fabric and Crazy Salad

Quilt Block Pattern Information

Here's a wonderful recipe to use up all those hard-boiled eggs from Easter.  And I think the fabric in this block goes perfectly with this recipe!

Crazy Salad

1.    Layer in a glass bowl:
       Torn lettuce
       Torn, raw spinach
       Frozen green peas
       Cooked and diced bacon or ham
       Hard-boiled eggs
2.    Mix together and spread on top:
       2 cups Miracle Whip, thinned with milk
3.    Grate cheese and sprinkle on top.
4.    Refrigerate over night and serve the next day.

My mother-in-law Geraldine Bova Phillips gave me this recipe.  You can add other layers, too, according to your taste and what’s in your refrigerator!

 

I attended a bride's luncheon, where this was prepared in several 9" x 13" dishes, to make it easy to serve the large group. 

 

What recipe do you make with all those hard-boiled eggs from Easter?  Inquiring minds want to know!   By commenting, you'll be entering this month's give-away of Marie Bostwick's newest book APART AT THE SEAMS, coming out the end of this month.  Three lucky people will each win a copy, courtesy of Kensington Publishing!  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others.  The winner will be announced on May 1.

 

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Cross and Crown Quilt Block and a Song for Sunday.

Cross and Crown Quilt Block and a Song for Sunday

Cross and Crown Quilt Block Pattern Information

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today

       Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
       Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
       Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
       Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!
Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!
Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

by Charles Wesley (1707-1788), 1739

This is one of over 6,000 hymns Charles wrote during his lifetime.

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Rosebud Quilt Block and Walking Wednesdays.

Rosebud Quilt Block and Walking Wednesdays

Rosebud Quilt Block Pattern Information

 

It is snowing outside once again

 

 

and I am inside, remembering a recent walk in much warmer weather

 

 

with lovely roses

 

in a variety of colors

 

 

 

as well as exotic flowers, not seen in Colorado

 

 

 

and wild strawberries, like we have in Colorado (just not this early!)

 

But the very best part of the walk was my walking buddy! 

I plan on taking many more wonderful walks with him in the future!  

 

What have you seen on your recent walks?  Inquiring minds want to know!   By commenting, you'll be entering this month's give-away of Marie Bostwick's newest book APART AT THE SEAMS, coming out the end of this month.  Three lucky people will each win a copy, courtesy of Kensington Publishing!  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others.  The winner will be announced on May 1. 

 

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Colorado Beauty Quilt Block and Signs of April in Colorado. 

Colorado Beauty Quilt Block and Signs of April in Colorado

Colorado Beauty Quilt Block Pattern Information

 

April in Colorado is . . . catkins on aspen trees - 

"a clear indication that spring—despite the grayness that may yet

fill the sky beyond our windows—has in fact arrived." - I read here.

 

April in Colorado is . . . baseball practice - such fun to see on my walk!

 

April in Colorado is . . . cheerful daffodils to brighten my home. 

 

And, of course, April in Colorado is ... snow! 

It's already snowed 3" today, and we are expecting 4 - 6" more tonight. 

 

What are signs of April in your area?  Inquiring minds want to know!  By commenting, you'll be entering this month's give-away of Marie Bostwick's newest book APART AT THE SEAMS, coming out the end of this month.  Three lucky people will each win a copy, courtesy of Kensington Publishing!  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others.  The winner will be announced on May 1.

 

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Star of Hope Quilt Block and a Palm Sunday Parade.

 

Star of Hope Quilt Block and a Palm Sunday Parade

Star of Hope Quilt Block Pattern Information

Enjoy this poem written by my cousin, a pastor in Alaska:

Poem for Palm Sunday

 

Spring surrounds me, some days at least

Yet I am consumed by winter tasks-
Paying bills,
Running in the dark,
Filing taxes,
Writing reports,
Worrying about tomorrow,
Envying those gone
On tropical vacations-
My winter coats mock me,
Hanging from their hooks.

Yet here comes a parade-

No marching bands,
No twirling of batons,
No convertibles or clowns-
But a man riding on a donkey,
Feet nearly dragging at the ground,
And a throng- pressing in,
Abounding ahead and behind
Shouting the sort of hope
That mocks cynic, skeptic, and scoffer.

For I see clearly, standing here-
Death still reigns,
Rain still falls hard and cold upon our spirit,
Our mortality still coerces
The way we mold and shape our days-
And this parade of those who dare to hope-
It leads to a cross and suffering
And a tomb sealed hard
With all the traps of death.

Yet, yet, the shout ‘Hosanna’ that mocks all that-

It has the ring of invitation,
It tickles at a soul still frozen to the ground,
It sings a love song that dismisses rude
My every fear, and casts off as rubbish
The shroud about my being:
Let free your hope,
Set loose your faith,
Live now with joy- even midst the tasks of night.

Yes, begin this very moment-

Begin RIGHT NOW, with Praise!

George R. Pasley

April 12, 2014
Ketchikan, Alaska

You might also enjoy my previous blog post Comforts of Home Quilt Block and Trust-Building Tea Time.

Comforts of Home Quilt Block and Trust-Building Tea Time

Comforts of Home Quilt Block Pattern Information

 

"Somehow, taking tea together encourages an atmosphere of intimacy when you slip off the timepiece in your mind and cast your fate to a delight of tasty tea, tiny foods, and thoughtful conversation."  Gail Greco

 

Check out this wonderful blog post about the trust-building effects of tea time.  The author, Judy Palpant, is my brother-in-law's sister and writes about the importance of tea time in building relationships when they were missionaries in Kenya:  Trust Building Over Tea in Kenya

 

 

 

Have you ever lived in a culture different from your own?  Did you find it hard to adjust?  Inquiring minds want to know!  By commenting, you'll be entering this month's give-away of Marie Bostwick's newest book APART AT THE SEAMS, coming out the end of this month.  Three lucky people will each win a copy, courtesy of Kensington Publishing!  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others.  The winner will be announced on May 1.

 

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Kansas Troubles Quilt Block and Domestic Violence in A Thread of Truth by Marie Bostwick.

 

I'm linking up with Bernideen's Tea Time Blog, Tea Time Tuesday, A Return to Loveliness, Artful Affirmations, and Tuesday Cuppa Tea.

Kansas Troubles Quilt Block and Domestic Violence in A Thread of Truth by Marie Bostwick

 

Do you love to quilt AND love to read?  I invite you to join the free, online Quilters' Book Club.  Each month, we read a book, discuss it through comments on my blog posts, and then make a quilt block to represent that book.  I research several potential blocks to go with the book's themes, setting, main characters, and events.  And I find the patterns free on the internet, making it easy for everyone to access.  Each member can choose the block or blocks they'd like to make.

To join, become a follower of my blog so you won't miss any blog post.  To make it super convenient, you can also sign up for my posts to be delivered right to you via email.    

Our book to read and discuss during April 2014 is A Thread of Truth by Marie Bostwick.  It's the second book of her Cobbled Court Quilts series.  Get the book from your local library or bookstore and join us!  It's also available on Kindle right here. 

In A Thread of Truth, the author sensitively takes on the difficult subject of domestic violence.  "According to a 2005 CDC survey, one in four American women have been abused by a husband or boyfriend - and on average more than three women are murdered by their husband or boyfriend every year."  (page 342, A Thread of Truth).  Marie gives readers a window into domestic violence as seen through the eyes of the main character, Ivy Peterman. 

If you would like to create a quilt block to represent this theme of domestic violence, here are some ideas to get you started.  Clicking on each quilt block title will lead you to the free pattern.    

Cross and Chains Quilt Block

Hard Times Quilt Block

Job's Tears Quilt Block shown below

Kansas Troubles Quilt Block shown above

What would you do if you thought someone you knew was being abused by a significant other?  To whom would you turn if it happened to you?  Inquiring minds want to know!  By commenting, you'll be entering this month's give-away of Marie Bostwick's newest book APART AT THE SEAMS, coming out the end of this month.  Three lucky people will each win a copy, courtesy of Kensington Publishing!  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others.  The winner will be announced on May 1.

Looking ahead to the May Book Selection: These Is My Words: the Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine by Nancy Turner, Historical Fiction based on the life of the author's great-grandmother, set in Arizona Territory, 1881-1901
 
You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Brotherly Love Quilt Block on National Sibling Day.