Quilting Withdrawals

I miss quilting! But I can't complain because we've been busy doing all kinds of fun outdoorsy type activities. We went to Mammoth a couple weeks ago and went hiking and biking and sightseeing in Yosemite. Last weekend I raced in a sailboat race in Long Beach for the first time in about a year and we won the race! And then yesterday I played in a golf tournament with people I work with in 100 degree weather. It was at the Malibu Country Club which is gorgeous and I wish I had taken my camera along. The trees there were changing which is something we don't get a lot of here in Southern Cal. They were turning pretty reds and oranges so that was fun to see .
This coming weekend is my cousin's wedding in Colorado so we'll be in Denver for a few days. The wedding is going to be lots of fun and I'm very excited because my whole family will be together which is a fun treat.
I plan to get back into the quilting groove after we get back from the wedding. I already have a couple patterns I've been eyeing and of course lots of fabric in my stash waiting for me to use it!

A fun series about quilting

I just finished reading the first book in a series by Jennifer Chiaverini called the "Elm Creek Quilts" series.  The first book is called "The Quilters Apprentice" and I enjoyed it so much, I already ordered 9 more of the books from Barnes and Noble.  (They are quick reads so that should last me a couple months :-)  )  I love to read and I love to quilt, so it definitely made sense for me to try out this series.  

       In the past, I have seen a lot of books on display at the quilt shows my mom and I have attended together,  but I never knew which series to start with, or if I would enjoy the books.   I was at Costco the other day and spotted this book and realized  that it must have a wide appeal if it was being sold there. So I decided to pick it up and give it a try. 

     It is a charming book and the story telling is very good.  Reading about all the quilting in the book made me want to get started on another quilt right away!  Even if you aren't a quilter, you might finish the book wanting to start a quilt right away. ;-)  I'm looking forward to receiving the next book in the mail so I can get started on that one. I'm hooked! 

Originally uploaded by dawnsquilts

This was taken after I gave my cousin her bridal shower quilt. I was so glad she liked it!