Hobby Stash

What I’m Reading Now…

The Girl With The Dragon Tatoo by Stieg Larsson

So many UFOs…

I finished making 12 blocks for the next All Our Quilts block exchange and have now moved that project to my UFO (unfinished objects) pile….

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy Kathryn Stockett’s debut novel when I first started reading it, but quickly became involved with the characters as they unfolded. The story is told in first person by the three main characters, Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter, and tackles racism in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s. I couldn’t stop reading and didn’t want it to end.

When I searched for more information about Kathryn Stockett, I discovered she was born in and raised in Jackson, Missisppi and moved to New York to work in magazine publishing. Wow! I can’t wait for her next novel. Will there be a sequel?

My Rating:  

Killer View by Ridley Pearson

This second novel in Pearson’s new Walt Fleming series leaves me feeling about the same as I did with the first novel…unsure I want to continue with this series. Domestic terrorism, which seems to be on the rise in our country these days, is the basis for the plot. Unfortunately,  there were points where I was so squeemish with the graphic descriptions of violence, I was tempted to stop reading.  And the characters are still flat. In summary, I miss Lou Boldt.

My Rating:  

Square-Up Ruler

I have quite a few rulers with some used more often than others. This baby is used everytime I make half-square triangle blocks and it does a marvelous job of squaring up these blocks. Once I’ve sewn together 2 blocks and cut them apart on the diagonal, I use this ruler to square the block before I press it open…a real time saver! I line up the finished block size indicated on the ruler with the seam allowance and then cut away the excess on the two sides.

Snap Art 2

I, for one, am frankly tired of looking at my fabric stash on the home page and decided to play with Alien Skin’s latest version of their Snap Art plug-in for Photoshop…this is a snapshot of our house after an abundant season of rain.

Quick Photoshop Border Trick

Gavin Hoey provides a quick tip for adding a border to your image by using quick mask and filters.

Cemetery Dance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Cemetery Dance was a ripping good, escape-from-realism yarn. I loved how it all came together in the end with semi-plausible explanations for totally implausible events. Once you get past the total lack of professionalism on the part of the police force as well as the FBI, it’s quite enjoyable. But if you can’t make that leap, this book might not be one for you. I, for one, was clueless until almost the end on the culprit responsible.

My Rating:  

All You Want to Know About Photoshop Smart Objects

Here’s another excellent video illustrating the benefits of Photoshop’s smart object feature…

In The Dark by Brian Freeman

Interestingly Freeman’s fourth novel has two titles: In The Dark for the U.S version and The Watcher for the U.K. version. Personally I prefer the U.S. title…more mysterious.  This fourth novel in the Jonathan Stride series continues  intertwining an unsolved mystery from his high school years with a current  peeping Tom case he is trying to solve.  I actually managed to figure out the older murder before the killer was revealed but still  surprised by some of the various details that unfolded. Enjoyable as always but I couldn’t help thinking Stride sure has a lot secrets in his closet as well as his friends and just about anyone he meets.  Not sure I’d want to live in the same town with him.

My Rating: