Just Like Christmas All Over Again...

I told you about getting an iPad from Handsome for Christmas. I haven't told you much about it since, so I thought you might like to know how I feel about it now that I've had it for a few months.

I love my iPad!!! One thing that's really great is that I can access the internet any time I'm near a wi-fi connection. Veeerryy convenient - much more so than toting my laptop around all the time. It fits right in my handbag - even when I use one of my smaller ones!

I love its internal light for ease in reading the screen whenever or wherever I want. The speaker is loud and clear, and can be turned off easily. It's easy to use, whether it's for going online, writing a blog post, checking my Facebook page or emails, or for using the applications I've installed.

I thought it was fun before...
but, then I downloaded an application that enables me to save books and pdf files into the iPad. I just access the online bookstore (through iTunes) and download books that are either free or available for a modest price. My library even looks like a bookshelf!

Just imagine having all your favorite quilting, sewing, knitting or other craft books right at your fingertips! (I'm pointing to the two quilting books I recently loaded into mine.)I have a hard copy of Jelly Roll Quilts. In fact, I liked it so much that I purchased it twice in hard copy, which is why I included one in my last giveaway. Now, I have it loaded into the iPad so that I have it available in a new format.
Not only is this convenient for travel, but it's also extremely helpful right in my studio! I can have my favorite quilting book at the ready without having the sometimes unwieldy hard copy in my way .Once I'm in the studio...or even if I'm just reading one of my installed novels...I simply place the iPad into this little stand. It holds the iPad out of the way of my work, but close enough to access information as I need it.
I have all the instructions right at my fingertips in glorious, full color. I just tap a bottom corner of the iPad to turn the pages and I can skip ahead to other chapters or patterns as needed.
I also added another online book to my iPad library called Quilts, that even has online links in the copy. I'm not sure if it's available in a hard copy format, but it's perfect in the iPad.

I have a number of free books installed, too. Most of the classics are no charge from the app store. Two nights ago, I read a book I hadn't read since I was in junior high, Jack London's Call of the Wild. I just put the iPad in the stand, sat back and relaxed with a cup of tea as I read. It was wonderful.

So, if you're thinking about purchasing an iPad as a reader, I can highly recommend it. I don't care that I don't have the camera or other features in the newest generation iPad. I already have a camera so I don't need another. I love my iPad without all the extra bells and whistles.

If you get a chance to try one, go ahead and have fun with it. You may find you're as taken with it as I am. I can tell you, it's like Christmas all over again every time I turn it on!

**Disclaimer: I have not been compensated in any way for endorsing the iPad. I'm just a huge fan!

And Now, For A Little Strip "Tease"...

I was very careful to accent "tease" and not "strip tease", because I certainly didn't want to give you the wrong idea! I decided to spend a little time in my studio playing with the fabrics I'd chosen for the applique' quilt to help me decide which pattern I wanted to use.

Aren't they just the most girly, restful colors and patterns? I'm quite sure they're Fig Tree fabrics from Moda, but I can't find my label. If you know which design line they are, please tell me!
I paged through my two favorite quick quilt books...Lickety Split Quilts and Jellyroll Quilts, because...well, I'm using a jelly roll of scrumptious fabrics for this quilt! (You knew that though, right?)
After spending the better part of three days trying to decide, I finally settled on this pattern, called Spiral Strips from the Jelly Roll Quilts book. I read through the entire pattern, and then embarked on the project. The center of this design will be my bluebird applique' square. It's just the right size.

First, instructions said to choose the fabrics and cut the lengths of each strip in half. Check! Then, arrange the strips in groups of four - dark, light, dark, light. Check. Next, I loosely folded each set of four and lined them up like little soldiers awaiting assembly. When I stacked them to fold, I started from the bottom up, so you'll see all the "lights" on top of each set.
Today, I have a long-awaited eye doctor appointment and my four-week haircut. Maintaining this short haircut requires a cut every three to four weeks as my hair grows like crazy, and it's thick to boot! Anyway, I'm telling you this because I'll be out of the house early and home late-afternoon. My appointments are in Sarasota, so Handsome and Kes will hold down the fort while I drive north.

I'll try to get back to sewing when I get home, but probably won't get back to it until Friday. Kes is telling me that I ought to run the vacuum when I get home, too. Don't you just hate it when housework interferes with play dates? But I have to admit she has a point. Perhaps I'll do a little "maintenance" when I get home and set myself up to be able to play all day Friday. Yeah...I'll go with that. I promise my next post will not be photos of my vacuum cleaner!
OH MY GOSH!!! I just realized that I'm only 13 (THIRTEEN) days away from my 500th Post! Can you even believe it? I'm going to have to put some thought into how I'm going to commemorate this event. Anyone have any good ideas? How would you like to see me mark this occasion? Don't be shy. I'll read and consider every single suggestion.

'Til tomorrow, girlfriends!