On Wednesdays I link up with Kat at As Kat Knits. Each week she hosts a group of bloggers who share their reading and stitching projects. Be sure to visit her blog and the other bloggers participating. I still believe that it’s the friendliest spot on the internet! This week I’m sharing two non-fiction books that I’ve finished and an update on my handsewing project.
Reading
The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie
I really enjoyed this book about the benefits of reading aloud to our children even when they’re old enough to read to themselves. It’s packed with great book recommendations and had me excited about all the reading that’s left to do with my children. It definitely leans religious, but there’s plenty here for a secular family like mine to consider.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Oh boy. The audio version is read by the author and it was quite an experience. This was an excellent, yet painful, book. Coates is an American Treasure – we are lucky that he’s brave enough to share his writing and thoughts with the world.
Stitching
I am still making progress with my handsewing project. I won’t wallow too much about how my progress has been hindered by an injured thumb and an unshakable anxiety about the state of the world. Instead, I will revel in the fact that I managed to sew on any hexies in the last week. And this quilt is beautiful.
I had to snap this picture. A little pair of hands dropped salsa onto one of my hexies. I cleaned it up as best as I could and tried to ignore the stain, but it was really obvious. Problem solved by using the seam ripper and sewing in a new hexagon! It was a fiddly process, but overcome the way all fiddly things are: slow, steady, and with a gentle but firm hand. And doesn’t the hexagon shaped hole look cool?
As I get ready to publish this post, there aren’t any final results from yesterday’s presidential election. My husband volunteered at the polling station yesterday so I managed to avoid the news most of the day. I’m hoping to do the same today! Just remember: keep reading, keep stitching, and keep breathing!
The Cozy Burrow 
A black hole in the quilt, dreadful- but you made the right choice to replace it. Hope you get the result you wish for in the election.
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Isn’t it funny looking?
Thanks for the good wishes, Cathy. No outcome yet, which I’m sure you already know. I’m just ready for more stability in the US!
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Great advice, Katie — and your quilt really is beautiful! (Onward and upward, as they say!!)
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Onward and upward!
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I think the ability to remove a hexi if you need to is one aspect of the beauty of this method!
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Great save on the quilt! I love the Read-Aloud revival book for the book lists at the end. She has some more on the website. It’s a good resource when you are wanting to put stuff on hold at the library but not quite sure what to search for!
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I agree – the reading lists are wonderful! Another great book full of contemporary lists is How to Raise a Reader.
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It looks like you’re very close to finishing your beautiful quilt, and that was a great salsa save! I was just going through my sons’ bookcases the other day (they are 27 and 30 now) and thinking how much I missed those read-aloud days. I would have loved a book like The Read-Aloud Family back then.
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Bless your spouse for his volunteer work! (and, YES, I just love Ta-nehisi’s writing so much!!) You are such an amazing crafter… that quilt is stunning (and that hole is genius!)
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He had a much better experience than you did, Kat. He said there was some general grumpiness, but nothing outlandish. PA is just so contentious right now – thank you again for volunteering in your neighborhood!
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Great save on the quilt. And here I thought you sewed a solid black piece into the quilt as a bee. Ha. Slow and steady is the way to accomplish most things. Let’s keep stitching.
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