About The Crazy Quilter

 My first full-length fiction effort; I hope you enjoy it <3

This started as a short story. It was supposed to be a fun flash told through a few letters. Then I thought it would be good to add backstory to the letters, setting how they were found, probably in an attic, something like that. The next thing I knew, there were 13,000 words. 

But there still wasn't an ending. And while I had hoped to write a mystery, I discovered that I had unexpectedly veered into the Gothic trope territory. So, I paused for some research to make sure where we were going in this story. Turns out, there is such a thing as "cozy gothic," so we are all good :)

Thus, we found our way beyond 22,000 words - a proper novel!

Please tell your Library and Bookshop that The Crazy Quilter is available in the Ingram catalog.

If you enjoy eBooks, Smashwords has this on sale -25% throughout July.

Try Books2Read.com/TheCrazyQuilter if you wish to see other eBook platforms: Kobo, Angus & Robertson, Vivlio, Palace Marketplace, everyone!

For print books, I recommend Bookshop.org, and there is an affiliate link in the sidebar. 

The Crazy Quilter is not yet available on Amazon/Kindle because I am making this available wholesale for Quilt Shops (it is an LQS story, afterall) and Book Clubs. 

If you gather 10 readers, I will be honored to Zoom into your book club and share my behind the scenes research for The Crazy Quilter. And I want to see all your quilts too!

Here is the ABOUT news:

When Dana's great-aunt Angie passes away, she's bequeathed an unexpected inheritance—Angie's New England quilt shop, including her upstairs apartment. But as Dana questions whether the lifestyle of a small-town quilt shop owner will fit her, strange things are happening, leading Dana to wonder if the shop might be haunted by her great-aunt's restless spirit.

What dark secrets did Angie harbor? Why are her most prized quilts mysteriously missing? And could Angie's time in a psychiatric asylum long ago somehow be connected to the supernatural occurrences Dana experiences?

Faced with unearthing her family's hidden history and finding her great-aunt's legacy, Dana embarks on a journey of personal discovery. She is embraced in this quest by a group of local quilters: Edna, Janet, Alice, and Margo. These four women become Dana's allies and friends, offering her a sense of belonging and support as she delves deeper into her great-aunt's past. Through them, she comes to understand the importance of quilting for Aunt Angie and the town.

This charming, haunting tale blends mystery, quilting, and the power of family to uncover the essential meaning of being true to yourself and finding the threads that stitch a heritage.

Admiring the Finish

I mended my friend Cheryl's little black dress for a special occasion. And I finished it two weeks in advance, not the day of the event, so I was very pleased with myself. I texted Cheryl to say I would be brining the dress back to her that evening. Done and done. 

But wait, there is more.....

When I got to Cheryl's home, neighbors were waiting there to see the dress. There was pizza.  People patted me on the back and offered to get me drinks. The dress was handed around for each person to admire the new zipper I had just finished. Then a guy I didn't even know played Pomp and Circumstance on his phone while a tiny parade returned the dress to a place of honor in Cheryl's closet. I know, I couldn't believe it either. It was like being in a Beatrix Potter story. It was an actual mending party!

So I'm relaying this strange but beautiful circumstance to ask; how do you celebrate your craft?

Are you like me?  The minute I finish a quilt, I start another quilt. 

It has never occurred to me to be like Cheryl's neighborhood and truly recognize the finish. Even after reviewing Visible Mending here on the blog, and believing i had a new found attitude of celebrating stitches, and thereby fearlessly creating more art pieces , wow - it still never dawned on me to just honor a finish. 

Next time... I'll wear my tiara. What will you do?

Collage Quilt Planning

 

I want to try and quilt this vintage travel poster using 

Sandi's method in @Quiltcabana ebook, Fabric Sketch Collage

 

 

I think it's a good candidate for collage quilting, except for the beach(?) background.

I might dumb that down a lot.  Any advice?

 

And what if we changed the sky to blue?

hmmm...……

 

Anyway, Sandi's book is great, you should try it.

She makes a scary new technique simple and fearless.

I'm inspired :)