Pastel Bookshelf Quilt

 

I made this quilt in March, but I couldn't share it because it was a surprise for my sister. I finally gave it to her so here it is! I made another bookshelf quilt. I LOVE the one I made in 2020, but my sister wanted softer pastels. Bookshelf quilts are so much fun to make and such a fun way to use scraps. 

Some of the books are made with fabric from my kids' baby quilts, which I love so much. 

I don't use a pattern for my bookshelf quilts, I just sew each book to be 12 inches tall and varying widths. I like to use a mix of wide and narrow books in a variety of colors. This is a quilt that having a design wall is super helpful so I can see the color distribution as I make the books (I don't have a fancy design wall, I just hang a piece of batting on the wall). I do try and use wider books for the left and right ends of each shelf, so once I sew the rows together I can trim them to be equal widths. 

You can see my rainbow bookshelf quilt here and all of my quilts here. 

Books I've Read & Loved

 I read a lot and always love sharing my favorites. Here are a few of my 5-star picks from the last few months. I will note - these are affiliate links, which means if you purchase, I will receive a very small commission from the seller (*you will not pay any additional amount by using my affiliate link). 

I'll start with some of my favorite recent quilt books. Welcome to Woodberry Way is adorable an is a serious bargain at only $13! I have made a bed runner using a pattern from this book and the instructions were clear and easy to follow. 

This Barn Star Sampler is GORGEOUS. I haven't made the quilt (yet), but it stops me in my tracks every time I see it. I also love these kinds of patterns because I could very easily choose any one of the blocks to make a whole quilt with just that one block, so the possibilities are endless. 

I love Lori Holt's books and this Scrappiness is Happiness book is beautiful. I love a scrappy quilt. I am working on the main quilt from this front cover. One little thing I love about her books is they are spiral bound, which is so convenient so the book stays open and stays flat. 

Another Lori Holt book... Quilters Cottage one is little but the instructions and photos are so clear. I think I will probably make a table runner out of just the house and trees. 

Alright... on to non-quilt books. This new Kristin Hannah book, The Women, is SO good. I could not put it down and loved it so much. It's about the often overlooked role that women played in the Vietnam War and it was so well done and such amazing characters. I also have heard that they are making it into a movie, and I'm sure it will be great, too. She also wrote The Nightingale, and if you haven't read that yet, you should - it's one of the best books ever! 

The Library Book was a really interesting read about the history of libraries and how they have modernized with the times. There was a bit of true crime mixed in and a really interesting look at how the staff of libraries make such a difference in their communities. I loved it and - bonus! - it's under $10!

The Many Lives of Mama Love was not my usual read, but it was really eye opening about how normal, every day moms get involved in addiction and what happens during and after going to prison and rehab. I've mentioned before that I volunteer at my local NICU and have held and helped a lot of babies who have been drug exposed. This book gave me a new perspective. I've often said I started volunteering because I didn't know what to do about homelessness or drug problems in our communities, but I know how to make quilts and hold babies so that's where I will start. I think we all need to do something - anything! - to imrpove our communities in whatever way we can.

On a lighter note, The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks was a much lighter read about a small town book shop and a newcomer who comes in a shakes things up. I almost always love a book set in a bookstore or library and this one is also under $10!

Generations is a non-fiction book that's heavy on statistics, but absolutely fascinating, especially if you are in a position of being in between multiple generations in your family. This book seemed like they interviewed my parents and my kids, it was so spot on in describing them both! I am somewhere in the middle of being a millennial and a generation x, so I didn't fit so neatly into one of these categories, but still found a lot I could relate to. It was particularly interesting to read the author and researcher's opinions on the futures of each generation. 

Hidden Potential was another interesting non-fiction read. I have two teenagers who are getting ready to launch, so I loved reading this book with them in mind. I also got the honor of being on a zoom video call with the author, which was SO cool! He was really fun and funny and clearly loves his job. 

Ann Patchett is one of my favorite authors and she writes beautiful books. Tom Lake was one I listened to on audiobook (while quilting, of course) and it was narrated by Meryl Streep. AMAZING to listen to her voice. So well done!

Speaking of... The Dutch House is an older Ann Patchett book and this one is narrated by Tom Hanks. Who doesn't want to listen to Tom Hank's voice for 10 hours?! The book was great, too, but honestly I could listen to Tom Hanks read the phone book. 

And last but not least, Stars in an Italian Sky was a beautiful book set in both 1946 and 2017, with beautiful characters and lots of twists and turns. I loved this book. 

If you'd like some of my older book recommendations, check out blog posts here and here and here and here. 

These post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my small business. :) 

Woodland Wonderland Quilt

 

I made modified version of the Woodland Wonderland Quilt* using assorted Bonnie & Camille fabrics. I think it turned out cute! 

You can find the pattern book here* and see all of my quilt on this page. 

*Affiliate links

Books Books Books

Ready for another long list of book recommendations? I've been reading a TON this year! (Silver lining I suppose?)

Firefly Lane is a fun and complicated look at two childhood best friends as they grow up and apart and together again. I really enjoyed these women and the very real look at how our best friends enrich our lives. And this book has been made into a Netflix series - I can't wait to watch! 

The Pocket Complete Color Harmony I was gifted an e-copy of this book and it is so pretty! An in depth look at color, this book is beautiful on every page. If you are a designer, artist, educator, or just someone who loves color, you will want to put this book on display. It is gorgeous and inspiring! 

Where The Lost Wander is a heart wrenching look at what life was like for American settlers and travelers in the 1800s. This book was beautifully told and an eye opening look at how easy we have it in comparison! And it's under $2 if you read with Kindle or free with Kindle Unlimited. This was a 5-star book for me and I am finding I keep thinking about the story and characters, long after I've finished the book.

I shared this one before, but The Home Edit Life is published and it's even better in person. I love these organizing books and they've seriously transformed how I set-up our house and belongings. 

Happy & You Know It was so much fun! This is definitely the "lightest" book on my list. This is about a musician going through some struggles, who ends up being hired by a very wealthy group of mommy social media "influencers." It pokes fun at our modern life and is also an endearing look at friendships. 

I'm a little late to the party, but I finally read The Silent Patient and now I see what the fuss was all about! I read the summary and thought it sounded kind of boring, but it is definitely not that! I won't say anything else so you won't have any of the twists or turns spoiled. Enjoy! 

The Authenticity Project was clever book with some unexpected friendships. I loved the characters in this book and can totally see this becoming a TV series. 

Watching You was a good suspense novel. I think I've loved all of Lisa Jewell's books. She has some great twists that I rarely see coming, which I appreciate. This was a great book that I didn't want to put down!

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird was a very interesting and unique book. This is a fictional story about Lydia, who loses a loved one and proceeds to live a double life - one in her reality and one in a dream where the death hasn't occurred. This double story was so interesting and I enjoyed the philosophical look at how we handle death and grief and moving on. 

The Book of Lost Friends was an excellent historical fiction book about how families re-connected after slavery was abolished. This was an eye opening, heartbreaking, hopeful, intense, amazing 5-star book for me this year.  

The Latte Factor was so good and I think this might be my go-to book to give high school or college graduates! It is such a simple idea - how saving just $5 a day (the price of a fancy latte) can change your whole life.

28 Summers is a recent book by Elin Hilderbrand. I think I have liked every book written by her! She has a great way of developing characters into very real people. This is a love story of sorts, but not how you expect it to be. 

The Storied Life of A.J. Fiery is an older book (2014) that someone recommended to me. I really, really liked it. This is another book with great characters. AJ is a bookstore owner that ends up with a little girl. His town and friends step up to help him overcome some big life struggles and prove that friends can become your chosen family. 

Last but *definitely* not least, Call Your Daughter Home was a 5-star read for me. I loved how powerful and emotional and inspiring this book was. So so so good. This was definitely one of my favorite books of the year, which is saying a lot because I have read A LOT of books this year! #quarantine

*Affiliate links... if you purchase a product using any my links, I earn a very small commission. 

My Bookshelf Quilt

After being tempted for years, I finally made myself a bookshelf quilt! 

I recently sorted my scrap fabric by color, so I used those bins and made a variety of books. I didn't use a pattern, I just made each book 12 inches tall and just loosely placed them on a design wall until the quilt came together. I intentionally made the books on the edges easy to trim down so I had some flexibility in the width once it was time to piece the quilt together. 

I varied the books - some have a horizontal strip or two, some have vertical "book plates," and some have nothing at all. 

My favorites are the books that have colorful selvedges as their book plates. I've been saving (hoarding?) these for years, so it was fun to finally use them for a project.

I also placed a camera on the bookshelf, because obviously photos have always been a big part of my life. This camera is cut from a cute vintage camera print from Hobby Lobby. 

The backing and binding are both "gradients" by Moda. 

I love how it turned out and I am so excited to hang it on the wall in my sewing room. This is definitely a happy quilt! 

I CANNOT believe this is my 99th quilt! I have something really fun in mind for my 100th quilt! You can view all of my quilts here. 

Books and More Books

I love to read and quarantine is feeding that love! What is better than getting lost in a good book? Here are some recent favorites...

The Giver of Stars is so so so good. This is based on a true story of the packhorse librarians that served rural Kentucky in the 1930s. The impact they make and the description of the times and area are so powerfully and so beautifully written. I highly recommend this book! If you loved Where the Crawdads Sing, I think you'll love this one, too. And they're making The Giver of Stars into a movie, too!



This Tender Land is about four orphaned children, on the run during the Great Depression. It sounds sad, but you will fall in love with these kids and their story.



The Most Fun We Ever Had is a book I really, really loved. The characters, the Sorenson family, are a husband and wife with four grown daughters. I LOVED these characters and their story. I could totally see this becoming a TV show like Parenthood or Modern Family.



American Royals is a fun, mostly lighthearted book that would be a great distraction for quarantine life. This book is written as if George Washington had become King instead of an elected official. The story centers around the modern day Washington royals and who will be next to take the throne. I loved it and can't wait for the sequel, American Royals II, to be released in September





The Last Letter from Your Lover is an older book written by Jojo Moyes. It was published in 2011. I read it on a recommendation from a friend and I loved it. It is so thoughtful and  descriptive and really stuck with me.



A Fall of Marigolds is a great book from 2014 that tells the stories of two women - one on Ellis Island in 1911 and one in New York in September 11th. The story and connections are so beautifully told.



Untangled If you have a preteen or teen daughter in your life, stop what you're doing and order this book. It is that good! She offers real, thoughtful, and practical strategies for connecting with and supporting teenagers through the ups and downs of growing up.



The Garden of Small Beginnings is a sweet read filled with characters you fall in love with.



The Summer Wives is a really interesting, fun, memorable read.



Beneath a Scarlet Sky is an older book, which means it is inexpensive. SUCH a powerful and interesting true story, based on the life of Pino Lella. This one is also being made into a movie.



The Dutch House I listed to this on audiobook and was so mesmerized by the narration done by Tom Hanks. It was so good!



Open Book by Jessica Simpson. To be honest, I did not expect to like this book, but she has quite a story to tell and I was really hooked.




A authors of a book I had previously recommended, The Home Edit, have a second book coming in September, The Home Edit Life. I loved the first one and cannot wait!



Lastly, not books, but a couple of quilt-y puzzles that are a great way to pass the time (bonus points if you list to an audio book while puzzling!). This one is just so beautiful!



And Camille Roskelley of Thimble Blossoms is releasing this puzzle in June. I already pre-ordered one as a birthday gift to myself! ;) P.S. Did you know if you pre-order an item on amazon, it will be delivered to you on it's release date AND they'll give you the lowest price offered on that item. So if you pre-order it now and it goes on sale between now and the ship date, you get that lower price.



WHEW! That was a lot... I hope I didn't overwhelm you. If for some reason that wasn't enough, check out my older posts here, here, or here.

*Affiliate links... if you purchase a product using any my links, I earn a very small "commission."