Celebrating A Month of Sundays

It's high time I did a little celebrating around here. A Month of Sundays came out this summer and I've barely had a moment to register that it is in the world. Something about those real babies taking up all my time, and a certain charity project. But this monh I'm going to celebrate. You'll get some behind the scenes goods, quilts in progress, good food, and even some giveaways along the way. I hope you'll join me and share in the party.

I'm going to kick things off with a little background on the book.

A Month of Sundays started even before Sunday Morning Quilts came out! My publisher, Stash Books, called us after the photoshoot for Sunday Morning Quilts with nothing but nice things to say. Then we started talking about the quilt Sunday Morning itself. The low volume scraps were really admired and I blurted out, "I bet I could write a whole book about low-volume quilts and we could call it A Month of Sundays." Their response was to request the proposal. So, before my first book was even in print I was working on the second.

Oh, and right when we were negotiating the contract I found out I was pregnant. After three miscarriages I was slow in accepting and appreciating that pregnancy, but everything aligned and I was set to deliver a baby and a book around the same time. Needless to say, I negotiated some later dates for the book because the baby sure wasn't going to wait. Now, for me, it feels like I gave birth to twins, the book and my son are so intertwined.

So as my tummy grew I wrote away. Thankfully, I am not the type of writer that needs her space to be just so and free from noise and distractions before a single word escapes my brain. I wouldn't even get this blog written if that is the case! No, my brain is constantly churning through sentences and hopefully there is an opportunity to get them down near by.

To write this book I sat in the dark in my dining room a lot of the time. Wrapped in a quilt, a pot of tea by my side. I was in the dark because if I turned on a light it usually woke the girls and then I got no work done. So, if I need glasses in a few years, I will blame this book for it and not encroaching middle age at all. I also wrote a fair amount of the book in the IKEA cafeteria. While The Monster was in school (she was in KG that year) and if The Evil Genius didn't have preschool we would hit IKEA to take advantage of the free babysitting/Smaland. I would get an hour to bang out some text. I can write a lot in a hour when that's all I get. Then there were the times I edited during swimming lessons or got up extra early to hide in a local coffee shop as the final draft was due so that I wasn't interrupted by more requests for cinnamon toast.

The writing in this book is intensely personal for me. Each essay for each section - Eat, Relax, Shop, Explore - is a true story, a reflection of my life and outlook. Funny thing, it wasn't until I was out with my red pen on the very last version of the book before it went to print (they call that version Pages) that I realized I'd written one big love letter to my husband. So, if you like romance, even the unconventional ones, this might be the book for you. The little tidbits are also part of our life. Lessons learned, activities that are a part of us, or treasured moments - they can all add to your life too. And they are all about taking the time to enjoy the time, to slow down.

I am really thankful for Stash giving me the opportunity to write a lot more in this book. It isn't the typical quilt book. Some people may not like that, but I hope most of you will appreciate it. I wanted to create a book that you curled up with and read first, then flipped through to look at the projects. And then when you had another quiet afternoon you did it again. And when you walked by the stack of books on your shelf you pulled it out again because you remembered that one project...

Then there are the quilts and sewing projects. I will talk more about them over the next few Sundays, but I did want to say now how excited they still make me. I look at them now, or wrap myself in them, or use them for my shopping and smile. You can't get tired of these low volume fabrics. Well, at least I can't.

(Photo by Kate Inglis)

The other thing that makes this book truly great - in my eyes - is the photography. Initially I was asked to do my own photography. I'm okay, but not great at making pictures. And I knew what I wanted. I could envision the styling on nearly every project as I made it. I knew the locations and props for nearly every shot before the quilts were done. But I needed a photographer to get into my brain and take the photos for me. Enter Kate Inglis. We worked together over a very intense 5 days to take all the styled, atmosphere, and lifestyle shots in the book. I carted around my son so that he could be nursed because he was only two months old at the time. My vanity reigned as we built shots around not showing much of my two months post partum body. And everywhere we went Kate found the light. I hope Kate will shoot every one of any of my next books.

So, this Sunday, I am raising my cup of tea and reminiscing about the process of creating A Month of Sundays. It's a snowy, blustery day here. Perfect for hiding inside and appreciating the moments I have with both my family and my stash. And yes, I am curled up in a quilt.

Join me for the next month of Sundays. Here is the schedule for what I'll be sharing here.
November 10 - Just Where Do I Get My Ideas?
November 17 - From the First Idea to the Finished Quilt - following the process for a few quilts
November 24 - Join Me in the Kitchen
December 1 (I know...) - Tips on Using the Book and Giveaway Day

Yes, there will be some giveaways. Books, fabric, and maybe a few extra treats. To be entered in the giveaway you simply have to leave a comment on any post for this A Month of Sunday series. Ask me a question, tell me how you are enjoying the book, or respond to the weekly query I post. One comment per posting, please. At the end of the series all name will get submitted and I will draw for the giveaways. International entries welcome.

So, what are you doing this Sunday?