Today's Quilter - UK (2020-03)

Joinusatwww.todaysquilter.com

Above left, February’s library; Right,

Jane’s Podcast Quilt using Elizabeth

Hartman’s Preppy The Whale block;

Below left, catch Pat Sloan on air

hroughout 2020; Below right, tea and a

Toast podcast is on the break fast menu!

98

I^

like nothing better than to retreat to my creative

space. It’s where some of my best armchair travelling

experiences take flight. Being able to shut the door on

the chaos of the external world and to relax, surrounded

by the things that bring me joy, is a real treat. This month,

I want to share some of the books and podcasts I’m

enjoying delving into.

Tracy Chevalier’s A Single Thread

arrived in my

bundle of Christmas gifts and I can’t wait to discover

more about the main character, Violet Speedwell, who,

while embroidering kneelers at Winchester Cathedral is

coming to terms with some life-changing events after the

First World War. I must be one of the few quilters who

missed the televised series of Margaret Atwood’s novel,

Alias Grace, which appeared on Netflix in 2017. Quilts

feature throughout the book, o

ering an interesting

metaphorical contrast to the harsh surroundings of the

prison setting where Grace is being held while she serves

out her sentence for murder. I’m still in the early stages of

the book, but I am loving the intrigue that is unfolding.

Waiting in the wings is a copy of Colson Whitehead’s

The

Underground Railroad, which is a book I have wanted to

read for a while, particularly since there is much debate

about the veracity of the underground railroad quilt code

Exploring the world of stitch from the

comfort of a cosy sewing space...

7KHGLDU\RIDWUDYHçLQJ

TXLOWHU

theory among historians.

All three of these booksare

available on audible.co.uk,

which

Isubscribe to when I need to be hands-free.

I’m a big fan of podcasts and have lots of

catchingup to do. At the top of my list are Pat Sloan’s

Fireside Chats and any of Abby Glassenberg’s

interviews from her blog, While She Naps. Closer

to home, I’m catching up with episodes from Sarah

Ashford’s^ Great British Quilter Podcast

series, which

I missed last year, as well episodes from the

Toa st^

magazine’s series, A Creative Practice

and The

Unknown Path, which, although not specifically about

quilts, are just a joy to listen to if you appreciate a

well-curated, creative podcast series. And last but not

least, I’m listening to Nadia Arbach’s

Declutter and

Organise Your Sewing Space

as an incentive to do some

spring cleaning. Whether it’s Winchester, Toronto

or Cable Street in East London, I look forward to

exploring the world from the comfort of my warm

sewing room with some cosy quilts close at hand.

ISSUE^58

STAYCATION

HOME