So, here’s the second Southwest style iPad sleeve I planned to make up. I just listed this one in my Etsy shop.
Such gorgeous fabrics! My husband brought them back to me years ago from a business trip to Albuquerque. (thank God for spell check on getting that city’s name!)
And from the back:
We have quiet plans for the fourth today. I’m having a sew afternoon with a quilting buddie and then Jeff is firing up the grill for hamburgers and hotdogs.
Hope you have a lovely fourth!
Do you have favorite authors? You know, the ones that leave you counting down the days to the release of their latest book? I’m there with two of my favorite romance authors.
One: Sherry Thomas. Some of her books are on my absolute favorite list. Not Quite a Husband and His at Night are two. I go back to those books again and again. Her latest novel, Ravishing the Heiress, is coming out tomorrow. Finally!
Two: Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Ahhh!
About a dozen years ago, I went through some dark, dark times. Years of debilitating depression and mental anguish. (And can I just say that the midwife/doctor that did the hormone workup on me and prescribed hormone replacement therapy gets my undying gratitude? She gave me my life back.) As I struggled through those dark days, I rediscovered romance novels. And I was truly lucky because I stumbled onto just the right authors – those who wrote books that were laugh out loud funny with heroines who were strong, determined, and capable. Those books helped get me through, I kid you not.
Susan Elizabeth Phillips was one of those authors. I think the first one of hers I read was Breathing Room. What’s not to like about a book that includes a retreat to a villa in Italy, a self-help guru in need of help, and a drop-dead gorgeous actor? Natural Born Charmer is another one of my favorites. Let’s see: a gorgeous football player, a rock and roll star, a recovering alcoholic trying to make amends for the past, a young woman who has never known a true home whose saintly mother just emptied her bank account to help girls kidnapped by guerillas, a runaway teenager, a crotchety old woman terrorizing a small town . . . and more. What’s not to love?
Frankly, the list of books by Susan Elizabeth Phillips that I love is way too long to inflict on you guys. But her latest, The Great Escape, comes out July 10.
Not only that, she’s going to be in town this month for a book signing. I don’t remember the last time I went to a book signing. Decades probably. But I’m going to this one – just between me and you, it’s a little bit of homage where homage is due.
Because writers who can give you a bit of escape and a bit of hope when the times are truly tough? It’s a gift.
I said I needed a few more sleeves for my Etsy shop, and here’s a start. Well, first, there’s the one that isn’t making it to the shop.
My own true love saw it and said, “Oh, I really like that one.” So, it’s his now. Here it is with the flap open:
And from the back:
I have enough fabric to make one that is at least somewhat similar for the shop, so that will be a project for later in the week. I love those Southwest fabrics. Meanwhile, it’s always nice to bring a smile to the guy who recently spent a weekend putting wood floor in my office!
I also did up one that made me smile.
I love those fun little sailboats. Here it is with the flap open:
And I found this cute striped fabric for the lining that I thought went just perfectly:
I don’t know about you, but I spent a great many years collecting fat quarters. It really makes me happy to have these little projects where I get to use some of them. I feel less wasteful (thank you, Catholic guilt) and I like that a cute fabric gets to have a life outside of my fabric drawer. Win-win.
I also made up a little Kindle Touch sleeve, being motivated by the holiday to check in on my patriotic fabrics.
Here’s a couple more pictures, just because.
I’m planning more iPad sleeves for the coming week, but this felt like accomplishing something, even if one of them just moved from my sewing room to Jeff’s nightstand.
