Review + Giveaway - Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing by Kathy Cano-Murillo

TITLE:    Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing
AUTHOR:    Kathy Cano-Murillo
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 323 pages
PUBLISHED:   Grand Central, 2011
ISBN#:   978-0-446-50923-7
SOURCE:   Received from publisher for review and blog tour

FROM GOODREADS: Scarlet doesn't do things like other people. Unfortunately, this leads to some misunderstandings, like when her manager at the fabric store mistakes her measuring methods for assault. But while she may not be as wealthy as her siblings, or as respected as her grandmothers-strict seamstresses whose criticism left Scarlet permanently pattern-phobic-she will be soon. She's been offered a position with Johnny "Scissors" Tijeras, the hottest young designer in New York. To raise money for her move, Scarlet opens an after-hours sewing school in a local record shop, attracting a surprising mix of students. Future freeform garment makers include a high-strung office manager whose marriage counselor thinks she needs to learn to break some rules, and an elderly seamstress with a secret past. But as friendships grow, the lines between teacher and student blur, proving there is no single pattern for happiness-it is always a custom fit.

MY TAKE:    The Goodreads blurb above doesn't do this book justice.  It is so much more. The initial reason I chose to review this book is because I love to sew ~ sometimes without using a pattern.  The fact that the story is such an enjoyable read was a treat.

The character of Scarlet Santana is quite the hoot.  She is vibrant, creative and ambitious.  It's too bad her family doesn't support her unorthodox methods of making a living.  All of her family that is,  except for her beloved grandmother.  She is the one who taught Scarlet how to sew and is her biggest fan. 

Scarlet's dream is to be a celebrated designer like her idol Daisy de la Flora.  Her life and creations have inspired Scarlet since she was a child.  When Scarlet is finally accepted into a prestigious training program with the nephew of Daisy, she will do anything to make it happen.  Unfortunately Scarlet soon finds out exactly what "anything" entails.

The growth of several of the characters throughout the story really pull the reader in.  I became very invested in Mary Therese's marital issues as well as the mystery of Scarlet's oldest student Rosa.  They were all well written and full of depth.  I warmed to them immediately and really cared about their tale.  Scarlet's family wasn't at the top of my list for a while, but they grew as well as the story progressed.

This was one of those stories that makes you feel good, makes you mad, makes you cry and pretty much hits all of the range of emotions.  I highly recommend this story and am looking forward to getting my hands on Kathy's first book, Waking Up in the Land of Glitter.  Be sure to read my interview with Kathy from earlier today.  She's an interesting lady!

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

WHERE TO BUY IT:    Amazon or The Book Depository

I'm sure none of you missed it when I mentioned the big G-word, you know.. GIVEAWAY!  The author and publisher have generously offered one lucky reader a prize package that includes BOTH of Kathy's books:

   

I'm jealous!  I haven't yet had a chance to get my hands on the first book:  Waking Up in the Land of Glitter: A Crafty Chica Novel  You lucky ducks!  To enter:

• You must be 13 years of age or older
• You must have a shipping address in the US or Canada, NO PO BOXES
• Leave a comment on this post and tell me if yous sew and what you make if you do
• Leave your email address in your comment, I don't want to have to hunt for it
• Drawing closes 3/23.
• Winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to respond.
• One winner per household.  In other words, you can't win this particular prize package more than once!

Good luck and as always,

 

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Author Interview - Kathy Cano-Murillo

I was pleased to be included in the blog tour for Kathy Cano-Murillo's newest novel, Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing.  Kathy was able to take a few minutes out of her super hectic schedule and answer a few questions for me.

 

 

Welcome to One Book Shy Kathy. Please tell us a bit about yourself and your book.

I’ve always loved to write, it started in fifth grade Language Arts class. In high school I moved on to journalism and my dream job was to become an entertainment newspaper reporter for The Arizona Republic. I launched an art career, but never forgot about my dream job. I finally made it happen years after I got married. But once I got there (and worked there for 13 years), even though I loved it, I knew I was meant to do something bigger. I wanted to pursue my other dream of writing a novel – or two or three…I wrote my first draft during National Novel Writing Month in 2004. It took six years from draft to publish, but it was worth the wait! When I’m not writing, I’m crafting. I run an award-winning web site, CraftyChica.com. I love that I spend my days on my two passions: writing and art.

What was your inspiration for Miss Scarlett's School of Patternless Sewing?

The sewing inspiration came from my Nana Cano who was a master seamstress. The story of Scarlet and her blog is inspired by all of us bloggers and the hard work we put into our sites, even though sometimes those closest to us don’t always see the value. It’s a story about staying true to who you are and believing in yourself even when no one else does.

Do you see yourself in any of your characters?

I think there is a little bit of me in all my characters. With Scarlet Santana, it’s her will to succeed and prove herself to her family. Scarlet drinks a lot of coffee and even eats coffee grounds in the book, that comes from a first hand experience!

Do you create/write with a "pattern" or do you just wing it/go with the flow?

I have a loose outline, but I always end up straying because as I write and flesh out the characters, they come to live and direct their storylines! I love it when that happens!

Are you a seamstress yourself?

I’m not exactly a seamstress, but I’m a fiber artist. I love to sew and make art collages and even clothing.

What do you do for fun when you're not writing?

I used to be a movie reviewer for the newspaper. Some weeks, I’d see two movies a day. When I left the paper, I missed that, therefore I go to the movies every weekend. I also spend a lot of time in my art studio. Most of all, I hangout with my husband and kids.

What can your fans expect next?

I’m working on my third novel, hopefully it will see thelight of day soon! I also blog every day at my web site and do all kinds of giveaways. I lead a craft cruise every year to Mexico, but in 2012, I’m also leading a group to England and Ireland!

With a life motto of “Crafts! Drama! Glitter!” Crafty Chica Kathy Cano-Murillo is a creative force of nature. A former syndicated columnist for The Arizona Republic, she is the founder of the award-winning Web site, CraftyChica.com and the author of seven nonfiction craft books and a Web series on LifetimeTV.com. Kathy has a Crafty Chica line of art supplies that are sold nationwide. She also has been featured in numerous media outlets such as The New York Times Magazine, NPR’s Weekend Edition, USA Today, Bust, and Latina magazine. She has shared her crafty ideas on local television, as well as on Sí TV, HGTV, and DIY network. She has been writing stories longer than she has been crafting. Inspired by Judy Blume and Erma Bombeck, she caught the literary bug in grade school, where she used to draw a picture and then write a colorful story to go with it. It’s a creativity exercise she still practices to this day! Kathy lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her husband, two kids, and five Chihuahuas.

For more information on Kathy and her many projects, check out the links below:

Website - CraftyChica.com
Twitter - @craftychica
Facebook - kathycanomurillo

Readers be sure to come back later for my review of Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing and a GIVEAWAY!

  
~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.