How to Make a Yo-Yo (Quilt, That Is) - Saturday Snapshots

When I inherited a yo-yo quilt from my mom, I knew it needed repair; but I had no idea it was in such bad shape! It's a bigger project than I realized. So lately I've been spending random moments working on fixing it. This project has given me a new appreciation for just how much time my mom devoted to the quilt's construction. Out of curiosity, I decided to create just one individual yo-yo from scratch to get an idea of what was involved and document the steps. Here they are. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

I used a DVD as my template. It's about 4¾ inches in diameter. The resulting yo-yo has a 2-inch diameter (approximately).

Gather the edges of the circle, turning the raw edge under about 1/4 inch as you go along. Bigger stitches are better. I think mine are too small. Use a heavy thread like quilting thread.

Pull the stitches tight, then take a couple of locking stitches and tie a knot to secure the thread. 

Once you've made about a million yo-yos, tack them together to form the quilt. (These stitches will be on the back side of the quilt and won't show, so they don't have to be perfect.) 

Here's my mom's yo-yo quilt.

I'll probably sew this quilt to a backing (gotta figure that out!) to make it more stable. By the way, there are lots of tutorial videos on YouTube showing people making yo-yos, in case you'd like to give this a try. 

I doubt if I'll ever make a yo-yo quilt from scratch, but I have a sentimental attachment to this one. Not only did my mom sew it by hand, my niece Kristin also contributed her stitches. Now I've become a part of it too.

Saturday Snapshots is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads.

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Hide in Plain Sight - Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56

     In Hide in Plain Sight a family emergency brings Andrea Hampton from Philadelphia to rural Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. But Andrea has no intention of staying around to help her grandmother and sister get their bed and breakfast running. Her life is back in the city.
      Cal Burke "just wanted to be alone with his anger and his guilt." He has become fond of Andrea's family and now rents their barn for his furniture building business, but why did he quit practicing law?
      This is a "Love Inspired" inspirational romance, but the author doesn't preach, which I appreciate. It is a well-written, entertaining story with likable characters and a good plot.

Book Beginning:
     She had to get to the hospital. Andrea Hampton's fingers tightened on the steering wheel as that call from the Pennsylvania State Police replayed in her mind in an endless loop. Her sister had been struck by a hit-and-run driver while walking along a dark country road--like this one. They didn't know how badly she was injured.

Friday 56 (from 56% on my Kindle):
     A quick jerk of his hand pulled her close to him, and he lowered his head to speak so no one could hear. "A few of the old-timers don't like the idea of another inn opening, increasing the tourist traffic in town."

Genre: Inspirational Fiction / Women's Fiction / Suspense
Book Length: 256 Pages
Amazon Link: Hide in Plain Sight (The Three Sisters Inn Book 1)
Author's Website: Marta Perry

**FYI: 
      Available now! Twenty-two Love Inspired authors joined together to create A RECIPE FOR ROMANCE--a collection of recipes and original short stories donated by some of your favorite authors. Marta's story involves a young Amish wife who finds a way to renew her bond with her husband over her chicken pot pie--and Marta's recipe for pot pie is included! 
     A RECIPE FOR ROMANCE is available as both print and e-book, and all profits go to children's charities. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QEE7Z18/ 

                            

Anyone can participate in Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56.
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More From Sweet Cravings and Secret Cravings Publishing

Are you following the Secret Cravings Blog? Come join us and keep abreast of the latest releases, giveaways, "Culinary Cravings" recipes, author interviews and more from both Sweet Cravings and Secret Cravings authors.

You'll find everything HERE.

Trail Mix - Teaser Tuesday and First Chapter / First Paragraph

If you enjoyed experiencing the Pacific Crest Trail in Cheryl Strayed's nonfiction book WILD, then you'll definitely have fun reading TRAIL MIX. In this fictional story two middle-aged suburban women tackle the Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. Right now I'm about 60% of the way into the story, experiencing the Smoky Mountains through the characters' eyes and having a great time... all without aching muscles or blisters on my toes. 

First Chapter / First Paragraph / Tuesday Intro:
      Raindrops trickled down Jess' nose. Her sodden boots plodded along, squooshing the mud with each step.
      "Why did I do this?" She threw her head back, her face raised in lament to the sky. The hood of her rain poncho slipped off. The empty forest around her offered no answer, just a steady rain. Then, far above the treetops, she glimpsed a bolt of lightning streaking toward a nearby mountain and heard an answering boom of thunder. She cringed and scuttled faster down the trail.

Teaser (from 21% on my Kindle):
      So much of her life she ran from point A to point B without noticing the journey in between. On this trip, as she traveled from Georgia to Maine, she vowed to live every moment. I will find awe, she promised herself.

Genre: Women's Fiction / Adventure (Fiction)
Book Length: 265 pages
Amazon Link: Trail Mix
Author's Website: Paulita Kincer

Synopsis:
In the tradition of Wild by Cheryl Strayed, comes a novel of two suburban women who decide to hike the Appalachian Trail, escaping their lives as moms and wives in search of nature, adventure, and the ultimate diet plan. How does a woman know what she wants after spending 20 years thinking about her husband and children? Sometimes it takes a distraction from everyday life, time to examine the forest before the trees become clear. With no previous camping experience, Andi and Jess begin the 2100-mile odyssey from Georgia to Maine. The friends figure life on the trail can't possibly be worse than dealing with disgruntled husbands, sullen teens home from college, and a general malaise that has crept up in their daily lives. At the very least, the women are bound to return home thin.

 

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