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Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Sandra Dallas Book give-away


Last week Anne at The Book Report Network contacted me about Sandra Dallas' new book, Whiter than Snow.  She's going to send me the book, and I'll write a review here after I read it.  AND!  She's also going to send a free book to the winner of my give-away drawing.  How great is that? You all know that one of my other passions besides quilting is reading.  So I am pretty darned excited about being able to offer this book to you as a blog give-away in celebration of ....what?....hmmmm?....How about to celebrate "quilters who read" or "readers who quilt"?  LOL!

All you have to do to enter this give-away contest is to leave a comment on this blog post.  Be sure to tell your friends about it, too and if they mention YOUR name in THEIR entry, your name will be entered again.  Make sure that I can contact you by email so I can get the right information for the book to be sent to you.  All names will be given a randomized number, and the drawing will be held on July 4th.  HURRY and get the word out for the free book!  And if you have a blog, please feel free to re-post the copyrighted comments from Sandra Dallas, and list my give-away, too.

You can learn more about Sandra Dallas and her books at http://www.sandradallas.com Here's what Sandra Dallas has to say about her writing:

Nothing defines my characters more than their sewing.

In my first novels, my female characters smoked. My books are set in earlier times, long before we knew about the evils of tobacco, when a woman who smoked was independent, a little daring, sophisticated.  As a writer, I could do so much with smoking:  A character could watch the smoke curl up or blow smoke into someone’s face. She could pick a speck of tobacco off her lip or snuff out a cigarette in anger. And there was all that wonderful smoking paraphernalia, such as Bakelite cigarette holders, monogrammed cigarette boxes, and remember those huge standing ashtrays with sand in them?     

But today, smoking says something negative about a character, no matter what the time period. So my characters have quit smoking.  Instead, they quilt.

The way a woman stitches says something about her.  A woman who takes small, even stitches is different from one who sews with big, sloppy stitches. A quilter who selects black and white fabrics for her quilt is more somber than one who picks primary colors.  And the patterns the women choose, whether an intricate design with thousands of pieces or a big, bold pattern of large blocks, say something about them.

The titles of the quilts, too, affect the stitchers.  Log cabin quilts were a favorite of women who helped escaped slaves on the Underground Railroad.  More than one pioneer woman pieced a Road to California before setting out for the West.  And it’s hard to imagine that a woman who likes her toddies would make a Drunkard’s Path.

My characters don’t just sew.  They are part of a community of stitchers—the quilting circle.  I first wrote about a quilting circle in The Persian Pickle Club, thinking there were a few quilters out there who might relate to the subject.  What I didn’t know was there are 27 million of them and that they understand the significance of the quilting circle far better than I. So I’ve included sewing in virtually all of my books, to a greater (Prayers for Sale) or lesser (Whiter Than Snow) degree.

What these readers know is that quilting isn’t just about making bed covers.  In a quilting circle, women support each other.  They share each other’s joys and sorrows, help in times of need, pull together when a member is threatened or in trouble.  Quilting is a way of sharing, and the work of the women’s hands represents warmth and comfort not only because they are making a quilt but because that quilt is made with love.

I’ve often been asked if I’m a quilter.  Some years ago, I wrote The Quilt That Walked to Golden, a history of quilting in the Rocky Mountain States, for the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, Colo. In the book, I write that quilting all but died out during World War II, and the women who picked up their needles a generation later were often self-taught.  They did things no self-respecting quilter would do today, such as use polyester fabric or quilt in the ditch (on the seam line.)  I tell of one woman who made a quilt for her sister as a wedding present, a stuffed quilt made of huge puffs filled with cotton.  She didn’t know when to stop stuffing, and as a result, the quilt weighed 25 pounds. Their brother had to take it to the wedding in the back of his pickup.

But my sister cherished the quilt anyway.

© Copyright 2010 by Sandra Dallas. Reprinted with permission from the author.
 

35 comments:

Debbie said...

I don't recall ever reading a Sandra Dallas book, but they all look good, so why not! Thanks for counting me in, Sharon.

Frog Quilter said...

Count me in. Love Sandra Dallas

kynomi said...

I love to read, and fairly recently have learned to love quilting. So consider me interested in the book!

Christie said...

I would love to win a copy of Sandra's new book. I found out about your give away from Bonnie Hunters blog. Enjoyed reading your blog - now that I have found you. HUGS... and stitches Christie

Unknown said...

I Love Sandra Dallas's books. Prayers for Sale was wonderful and I am looking forward to reading Whiter Than Snow. Kathleen in So. California

Annie Jones said...

Count me in. As you know I'm not a quilter, but I like quilts and I love to read. Also, I can crochet an afghan...not the same thing as a quilt, but just as cozy to snuggle up in while reading a good book.

Sammie said...

I love to read, too. I've read Persian Pickle Club and The Quilt that Walked to Golden. I don't buy many real books any more, but download plenty to my Sony reader. I'll go back to an old fashioned book book if it's free:-).

Nancy Near Philadelphia said...

Oh, WOW! I read "Persian Pickle" years ago and loved it and somehow lost the author. I'd love to read her newest one and would promise to pass it along to another reading quilter as soon as I'd finish.

A.Marie said...

Hi there! I LOVE to read and I'd LOVE to win this book!! :)

I came over here from Annie Jones blog (Real Life Living); that's how I found out about your giveaway. She had it posted! :)

Sandie @ crazy'boutquilts said...

How fun! I love to read! ..and quilt. :-) Thanks for the chance!

Mary said...

I'd love to read Sandra Dallas's new book. I raved about the Persian Pickle Club so much that everyone in my stitch group went out and got the book!

Janet said...

I'd love to have a new book to read. :)

qltmom9 said...

Oooo...Please, enter me in.~
Thank you for the chance.
My first quilt was too heavy too!

Lucy~

Joyce said...

I haven't read any of her books but will now look for them in our library. I'd love to win a copy of this one.

Osage Bluff Quilter said...

I've not read that book, but I'd love to!

Arlene said...

I love Sandra Dallas. Quilts and books, what better combination! I
read your blog regularly, and enjoy every day.

Unknown said...

I have read one of her books and liked it...Prayers for Sale. Please put me in the drawing.

shellysquilts said...

This is awesome. I love Sandra Dallas. Thanks for the cool give-away. Happy quilting!

Marge said...

I would love to win a book about quilters. I enjoy doing both. Thank you for the opportunity to enter this give-away.
Marge

Elly said...

Dear Nancy,
Put my name into the drawing...always love a good book! Currently reading Apologize Apologize! by Elizabeth Kelly

Anonymous said...

quilter who read, readers who quilt...

please add me to the book draw

..and I love the authors story of the puff quilt

Alice said...

Thank you for sharing your quilts and memories last night at Log Cabin Quilters in Harrisonville, MO. I had not thought of how your quilts reflect things that has happened in ones life.
Hope to see you in the future.
Please add my name for the book.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing your quilts and memeories last night at Log Cabin Quilters in Harrisonville MO. Enjoyed your head gear also. Have never read Sandra Dallas books, looks interesting.

Anonymous said...

I love to read and would love to win the Sandra Dallas book. Enjoyed your trunk show last night at Log Cabin Quilters. Fun!

Janice Britz

Kathy in FL said...

I'm a quilter who reads. I've read The Quilt that Walked to Golden and Prayers for Sale. I'd love to win Whiter than Snow. Please put my name in the drawing.

Anonymous said...

I'm a quilter who loves to read and I live in MO, also!!! Would love to win Sandra Dallas' book. Just finished "The Persian Pickle Club" and it was great. Thanks for your wonderful blog and give away.

Veronica

Janny Schoneveld said...

Can I please join this give away?
I can read in English but that goes not to fast.
But better slow than not.
Greetings from Holland, Janny Schoneveld.

quiltmom anna said...

HI Sharon,
I love Sandra Dallas's books- I particularly enjoyed the Persian Pickle Club, Alice's Tulips and the Diary of Mattie Spenser.
If you like her books you would probably enjoy the series by Nancy Turner that begins with These is my Words. It is a really lovely series.
Thanks for the opportunity to win Sandra's new book.
Regards,
Anna

Anonymous said...

Sandra Dallas is one of my favorite authors. I'd love to read her new book!

Claudia
cboling2000@yahoo.com

Yolanda said...

She is one of my favorite authors.Thanks for the Giveaway,

HOA Mgr Lady said...

We readers and quilters have to stick together yeahhhhh!
Ruth
recederstro at aol dot com

bunnythreads said...

please add me in the drawing.. I love to read & quilt..your books woud delightful I need to find your books

Gkathgoldin@yahoo.com said...

what fun all these books sound wonderful yours & hers.. sign me up. I am laughing at thinking about the poor girl stuffing her quilt until it was so heavy it needed a truck to move it :( aughhh
Lord if we could come with instructions

KQ Sue said...

I haven't heard of Sandra Dallas, but would love to have a new author to add to my reading list.

Anonymous said...

LOOKS LIKE A REALLY GOOD READ!
THANKS FOR SHARING,LOVE,LINDA

jldouglas@wispwest.net