I chose the purple batik for the sashing almost without thinking. I used nearly all of it (just 4-1/2" x 18" left over). I auditioned a couple of batiks for the setting, my limitation being what I have in yardage (rather than FQs and scraps). The peach won out. I made the float extra-large. I'm going to keep it that way and skip an outer border.
5-3/4 yards used for the flimsy. I still have 1-1/2" scrappy HSTs and a lot of 1-1/2" squares.
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An epistolary novel is one written as a series of letters. It's one of The Page Turner 2026 prompts. AI helpfully provides a list of them, from Samuel Richardson's Pamela (1740) to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2008) to The Correspondent (2025). I've read all of those so I chose something different.
I first learned about Maine humorist John Gould when I lived in Texas (my first library job). One of the library patrons requested his books via interlibrary loan and I read and enjoyed them. Then I married a man with deep roots in Maine, and we moved there, so John Gould was part of the literary atmosphere. I met him once--he, like Stevens, went to Bowdoin College. He passed away in 2003 at the age of 95. We acquired most of his books, some as reprints and many from used book dealers.
The Parables of Peter Partout was published in 1964. Our copy is a first edition. The fictional Mr. Partout lived at Peppermint Corner in Lisbon Maine (a real place), and wrote equally fictional letters-to-the-editor with stories about his friends and neighbors that are definitely too good to be true. (Or are they?) 62 years after the compilation was published they are as funny as ever.
Here's one of the shorter ones.
Linking up at Wednesday Wait Loss
Hooray, I can open your link and leave a comment this morning! (The internet is always changing things up, lol!) The purple sashing is beautiful with those blocks, Nann! I like epistolary novels, too - was just recommending The Correspondent to my sister. The book you chose sounds interesting and fun to read, and especially neat that you met the author!
ReplyDeleteThat was a fun story! Thanks for sharing. Your quilt top is lovely. Thanks for sharing on my weekly show and tell, Wednesday Wait Loss.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.inquiringquilter.com/questions/2026/03/18/wednesday-wait-loss-476
oh nann...stunning choices for sashing and border! my brother is a gould fanatic...i shall put him on my list when eye all better!
ReplyDeleteThe purple sashing is perfect!
ReplyDeleteWow! I love the scrappiness in this one. What a scrap-buster this is! The purple is perfect. ;^)
ReplyDeleteThe peach fabric you chose for the setting beautifully accentuates the small quilt blocks. Anticipating a beautiful finish!
ReplyDeleteThat was a lot of sashing strips to sew on! It turned out great. I like to make the setting triangles oversized too.
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful short story. Thank you for including the 3rd/last page!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to (try to) remember that girthy float trick for future quilts.
Bird 'Pie (sold another batik this week)
Lots of scrappy goodness in those stars and stands. The peach was an inspired choice for the setting triangles, it really sets off the purple.
ReplyDeletePurple and peach are perfect choices I think. And 5 3/4 yards out of the stash is a win too!
ReplyDeleteWow, those are beautiful quilts! And such patience you have to make all those TINY blocks! We lived in Maine for a decade (Caribou), but I don't recall John Gould. I'll bet I can get his books from a used book site; I doubt my library has them. Sounds like fun.
ReplyDelete