It’s starting to get chilly now, so what better activity that curling up with a book while you watch the leaves blow about outside.
This month’s book is Quilt as Desired’ by Arlene Sachitano. This is a quilting mystery novel and has been described as a ‘cosy’ mystery, as the main focus isn’t really on the crime as much as the crafting element.
This is quite a light read and the action moves very quickly. The chapters are short, which makes it easy to pick up and put down. It’s far from being a realistic novel; rather, it depicts an ideal community and group of people. The local quilt shop, for example, as well as carrying all tools and notions possible for quilting, and stocking over 7 000 bolts of fabric, also offers free cookies which customers can munch on while looking at the quilts on display, which are changed every month. Sachitano does explain all sorts of aspects of quilting and if you’re an experienced quilter, you may find this irritating, but for those less experienced, or those who just like to be reminded, there are lots of interesting facts scattered through the novel.
Having said that, Sachitano has a great way of describing the quilts that are being made, and really brings them to life. Her attention to detail means that as readers we know exactly what size many of the blocks being made are, and her colours sound luscious: ‘berry-toned floral …. with pistachio and antique green batiks with a touch of dusty rose hand-dyed cotton’. I personally enjoyed the fact that this is a novel about longarm quilting, although I do wonder whether it’s really possible to complete a quilt to show standard in just one day?
As an added bonus, the first six chapters are available free on Amazon, so you can start to read this today!
How do you tackle your quilting? Do you quilt your quilts yourself and if so, hand or machine? Or do you use a long armer to help you out?
7 years, 7 months ago
7 years, 7 months ago
