A Stitch in Time with Guest Blogger: Linda Andrews

Win a copy of Blue Maneuver

and meet urban Sci-Fi author
Linda Andrews today at the Book Boost!

She's here to chat about her favorite craft past times and here's what she had to say...


Long before I ever thought of putting ideas to paper, I had hobbies. It all started with my very first job when a new store called Michael's rolled into town. Unpacking boxes of goodies filled my head with possibilities--skeins of yarn could be baby blankets, bags of beads could be necklaces and colorful floss could paint pictures on fabric. I was hooked and I'm pretty sure much of my paycheck was returned to the store in exchange for items that fed my creative side.


Nearly 30 years later, I've moved on with some of my crafts. Sure I still have my sketchbooks and those pencil drawings. I have plates and bits of wood and plaster that I decoupaged. But I've whittled down my crafting obsession to three. So in my office alongside my books and research notes are fabric, seed beads and scrapbooking.


The oldest of my crafting skills is sewing. Yes, I actually sew—besides my 20 year old Singer sewing machine is my Serger. I used to make my children's clothes when they were younger, but that wasn't cool as they grew older so I switched to quilting. Just this year, my daughter retired her Irish Chain quilt I made her. She'd kept it for 17 years (she's 22) until there was only the backing and an odd fabric lattice work clinging to it.


In its place, I’m making her a black, gray and purple quilt that is currently taking a pound of flesh from my fingers as I quilt it on a very small hoop. I finished piecing a huge Jack O'Lantern quilt top for my son, so he's hoping I'll finish his sister's and get his stitched by next fall. My youngest is currently ransacking books for a design she wants after that.


Now, for the funny part. For years of not being cool for sewing clothes, my oldest daughter sat with me and picked out vintage 1940, 1950's and 60's sewing patterns because she wants me to make her some clothes. And my youngest wants me to teach her to sew clothes so she can be a clothing designer. It's enough to make me want to part my hair with my rotary cutter. Of course, they still haven't learned not the use my sewing scissors for cutting paper!


My second oldest crafty obsession is beading. When I first learned, I made bracelets and necklaces. Now, I use seed beads to make earrings. I've made Santas, reindeer, ghosts, pumpkins, and fish. I have a book with a design for a Victorian choker that I'm dying to try but the request for quilts is getting longer as my husband just pointed out that our quilt is getting a bit tattered.


My last and most recent hobby is scrapbooking. It has grown and grown and now I have it on three 6 foot shelves. Which wouldn't be bad but I think I only have 2 years done and I've been married for nearly 24. Lately, I've skipped buying pads of paper for stickers and embellishments. They're smaller and easier to hide (hubby rarely goes into the den of craftiness), which means they're easier to lose when I'm looking for them.


So there's my confession. I've never met a craft that I don't want to try. It's not a good thing when I work full time and try to write four books a year. Ah, well, they'll be waiting for me when I retire and I just bought a magnifying light from Michael's to help me see what I'm doing!


So are you a crafty person? Tell me your favorite hobby.


A Note from the Book Boost: Linda, I have good intentions of being crafty but I never quite make the time for it. I can do the basics of sewing but I've never been able to quilt. I'm really jealous of those who can make it look so easy. Great post and thanks for joining us today. Please tell us more about your book!


Blurb:

The extraterrestrials have landed and they're human.

Rae Hemplewhite didn't believe in aliens until a close encounter with out-of-this-world technology drags her into the extraterrestrial security program. Helping alien refugees adjust to life on Earth is difficult enough, but her first clients have a price on their heads. Plus, her new partner seems torn between the urge to kiss her or kill her.

And that's the good news.

The bad news: Alliances are forming in deep space. If Rae doesn't keep her witnesses alive long enough to transfer their top secret information to the right faction of humanity, Earth will become a battlefield.

Want More Linda?

Visit her website here: http://www.lindaandrews.net/

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for Linda and be entered to win and e-copy of Blue Maneuver.

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**