Disappearing Nine Patch (A Harriet Truman/Loose Threads Mystery Book 9) Read Online Free PDF

for Robin, and extra guacamole for Lauren.” He looked at the women seated around the table. “Have I missed anything?”
    “Sounds like you’ve covered everything,” Beth said with a smile. “As usual.”
    He smiled at her with a warmth reserved for her and her alone.

    Connie closed the box of gallon bags and handed it back to Mavis.
    “The fabric is cut and bagged. Does everyone understand Beth’s instructions about setting your quarter-inch seam?”
    Heads nodded as everyone stood and began gathering their tools and fabric and stuffing them into their bags.
    “Shall we meet again at our regular time on Tuesday?” Robin asked, pen and paper in hand.
    DeAnn’s phone rang before anyone could reply. She held it to her ear, listening.
    “Okay, got it,” she finally said and turned to the group.
    “I hesitate to tell you what that was.” She sighed deeply. “They’ve got a late entry to the ten-thousand-dollar-donation club.”
    Lauren sat back down.
    “Oh, geez.”
    “I take it we’re making another quilt,” Harriet said.
    Mavis sat down again, too.
    “Well, if we can figure out the fabrics, we can each take some home and use the pieces we cut today as a guide to keep them the same size.”
    Marjory Swain, the owner of Pins and Needles, walked into the room.
    “I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help but hear your dilemma. I might have a solution. Given the color scheme you already have going on, I was thinking you could do nineteen-thirties reproduction fabrics. I have the solids that go along with them. I think there’s a green that is dark enough for you, and there are multiple lavender prints, and prints with cream or white backgrounds. Would you like me to bring a few bolts in for you to look at?”
    They did want, and within a few minutes, they had selected colors and Marjory had taken them into the store to cut. Lauren and Harriet followed her out to the front counter to wait for the fabrics.
    “I guess it’s good that more people are donating that much money to Molly’s cause, but I’m going to be hard-pressed to get three quilts stitched in time for the event with the rest of my workload. I’ll be back on tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.”
    “Oh, wa-wa-wa,” Lauren told her with a laugh. “You’re not the only one with a real job. I can come help you do prep work, if that would help.”
    “Moral support will help,” Harriet told her then took the stack of cut fabric from Marjory.
    It took them another hour, but they cut the additional fabric and divided it between the two teams before they left for the day.

 

Chapter 4
    “Here, let me help you,” Harriet told Lauren, who was struggling to carry her sewing machine, a messenger bag that doubled as both a computer carrier and a purse, and her quilt bag up the porch steps to the studio. Harriet took the quilt bag and the messenger bag. “I have a place for you on the opposite side of the table from me.”
    She had set up two mobile sewing machine tables facing each other at the end of her large cutting table. She was thankful once again that her aunt had designed the quilt studio for maximum flexibility when she’d added the room to the large Victorian house Harriet now called home.
    “Do you want some iced tea before we start? It’s already made.”
    She pointed to the pie-crust table that sat between the two wing-back chairs in her customer reception area. A pitcher of tea sat on a quilted table mat, with glasses full of ice on either side.
    “You“ll need another glass of ice. I invited Detective Morse to join us before we start stitching. If she lingers, we’ll get her to press seams for us.”
    “I’m sure you have a good reason for inviting her to our sewing night. So, what is it?” Harriet poured tea into the two glasses.
    “Go get the other glass of ice; and by the time you’re back, she’ll probably be here, and I can tell you both at the same time.”
    Sure enough, by the time Harriet