By Barb Adams and Alma Allen
Kansas City Star; $26.95
Barb Adams and Alma Allen of Blackbird Designs began imagining a country inn, complete with handmade quilts on all the beds, a delicious breakfast made by Alice, the cook, and the lovely grounds tended by Henry, the gardener. They took the feelings their vision inspired and translated it into this book, complete with a beautiful floral appliqué quilt in two colorways. Eleven other projects include four additional quilts, a monogrammed pillowcase, tea lights and lavender sachets. Nine breakfast recipes include Swedish pancakes, Belgian waffles and strawberry jam. I enjoyed how they wove a cast of characters throughout the book.
Here’s a link, if you’d like to add it to your library.
Simply Dynamic Sampler Quilts By Marianne Hatton
American Quilter’s Society; $26.95
Those of us who have been quilting a long time usually started by making several quilt blocks to learn a variety of techniques and then moved onto a sampler quilt. Samplers had a standard look: blocks set straight with sashing and cornerstones. Marianne Hatton introduces what she calls the “next generation” sampler without the sashing. One of the keys to Marianne’s method is her GridMap® technique where you create a map to follow to ensure your success. Includes instructions for basics of quiltmaking, including straight, curved and set-in seams, appliqué, borders and quilting. If you work with newer quilters or like teaching a sampler method, you’ll pick up some tips for your toolbox. Here’s a link, if you’d like to add it to your library.
By Pat Sloan
Leisure Arts; $19.95Here’s a link, if you’d like to add it to your library.
Who hasn’t heard the call of the jelly rolls, honey buns and layer cakes at the bakery, oops, quilt shop? Not sure what size each is? Pat Sloan has that covered in her most recent book devoted to the current trend of using pre-cut fabrics. To start, Pat has a chart listing 15 types of pre-cuts from the fat quarter that we all recognize to the sushi rolls that we may not. Once you’ve got the lingo, Pat offers complete instructions for nine pre-cut fast and fun quilt projects. I think my jelly rolls and charm packs have found a new home.
I made some bargello quilts back in the 1990s. My favorite now hangs in my cousin’s home. Most of the bargello quilts made during that time, while stunning, were fairly simple. Not so with Eileen Wright’s quilts. She takes the bargello technique and creates waves, twists and curves to end up with wonderful motion. If you are unfamiliar with the bargello technique, Eileen offers simple instructions to choose and organize your fabric and to create strip sets. She includes directions to complete 11 designs. With each she has a complete chart to follow so you can put the fabric strips in the correct order. If you are new to bargello, the last four projects in the book are suitable for learning the basic technique of sewing fabric strips into loops and then opening the seam between the correct rows to create the design. A gallery is included. Here’s a link, if you’d like to add it to your library.
Tile Quilt Revival: Reinventing a Forgotten Form Carol Gilham Jones & Bobbi Finley
C&T Publishing; $23.95
Tile quilts are a rather obscure form of appliqué quilts, according to Carol Gilham Jones and Bobbi Finley, who are reintroducing the art form. This type of quilt is constructed by appliquéing small cotton pieces in a random fashion onto a white background. The pieces are sewn leaving a narrow space between them creating a “grout,” as between tiles. Very little documentation on the limited number of known tile quilts is available. Many seem to be done in blocks and are reminiscent of crazy quilts. The book includes instructions for designing and creating a tile quilt, six projects and a gallery of contemporary tile quilts. I found the history fascinating, and I like the bright look of the light background.
Here’s a link, if you’d like to add it to your library.
Subtitled “Easy Quilts From Fabulous Fabrics,” this is a collection of 11 simple, fun quilts done in contemporary fabrics and colors. The patterns take advantage of charm packs, jelly rolls and layer cakes, though you can always cut your own pieces. This is a great book for the younger, novice quilter searching for a newer look. It still offers ideas for more experienced quilters. I loved the use of rickrack and the “Birthday Bash” quilt with its stack of wonky layered cakes. Here’s a link, if you’d like to add it to your library.
Many quilts include some form of “stitch-in-the-ditch” quilting, and Sue Patten has offered 45 designs she created to do more than that. In many cases her patterns let her do her ditch work and designs at the same time. She offers designs for sashing, cornerstones, triangles and squares. Many of the designs are accompanied by step-by-step diagrams so you can see how to recreate the design. Her “Tips and Tricks” section includes tips for altering and combining the designs. I loved the quilted pieces in her “Spines with Designs” section done in rainbow thread on a dark fabric, as they help you picture these designs on your quilt. The patterns can be easily enlarged or reduced and you have more than 100 options, whether you use the designs for longarm quilting, as Sue does, or for quilting by hand or with your domestic sewing machine. This is a great addition to your quilting design library. Here’s a link, if you’d like to add it to your library.
Once again, Kaffe Fassett and Liza Prior Lucy have produced a book that whets your color and design appetite. Kaffe’s ambition for the book was to draw attention to the basic shapes we use in quilting as they appear in our surroundings. To do this, he uses lots of architectural and nature photographs to highlight shape. The photographs of the quilts then cause you to focus back on the simple shapes, squares, rectangles, triangles, diamonds, quarter circles, and circles. Some examples: Kaffe’s quilt Bounce filled with circles and the photo of the installation at the Keukenhof Gardens in Holland of a “pavement” made up of upside-down flower pots; the quilt Striped Donut and the old door made of concentric squares cut from strips of distressed wood. The book includes instructions for 23 quilts. I believe the book has sharpened my design eye a bit, and I’m seeing even more geometric shapes in my surroundings. Fans of Kaffe and Liza will love the book. Here’s a link, if you’d like to add it to your library.
Sylvia Pippen was introduced to Sashiko, the art form practiced in Japan for centuries, by her mother, who was raised in China. Shasiko, which means “little stabs” in Japanese is a running stitch done in white thread on indigo fabric. Today Sylvia uses Shasiko and adds appliqué designs to complement the traditional designs. In this book she suggests using a variety of applique techniques, including her favorite, which is the press-over heat-resistant Mylar method that allows her to form crisp intricate pieces. Once you’ve learned both the appliqué and Sashiko technique, Sylvia offers six projects that combine the two plus embroidery.The book includes a nice gallery of work and full-size pull-out patterns. A plus is Sylvia’s discussion on choosing fabric; she includes photos of a variety of fabrics and shows you exactly where to cut to get the right shading and light for your pieces. Here’s a link, if you’d like to add it to your library.
Stephen A. Covey, in his book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, says “Sharpen the Saw” is Habit 7 and shares the story of a man who has worked for more than five hours to saw down a tree. When asked why he doesn’t take a break and sharpen the saw, sure to speed his work along, the man replies, “I don’t have time to sharpen the saw. I’m too busy sawing!”
Covey goes on to define sharpen the saw as “preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have – you.” It’s about renewing yourself, physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially/emotionally. This requires a proactive investment in ourselves. And it takes time, something we all seem to find in short supply. I’ll be the first in line to say it’s easy to get caught up in my daily activities and neglect sharpening my saw. Gosh, it’s hard enough to find time for my handling the day-to-day activities of my business, particularly with my current travel schedule, where am I going to find time to “sharpen the saw”? For me, it’s about making it a priority – and honoring that priority.
Here are some ideas for sharpening your saw:
1. Visit a museum.
2. Try a new technique or class.
3. Educate yourself (read something new, go to a seminar, listen to one of our teleclasses).
4. Journal.
5. Organize your studio.
6. Review and update your goals.
7. Take time to exercise or try yoga.
8. Enjoy natural surroundings.
Covey also explains his “Upward Spiral” concept of renewal that allows us to grow and change. To do this, we must consciously learn, commit and do; learn, commit and do; continuously. This will keep your blade sharp. Where are your blades dull and what are you doing to sharpen them?
The International Association of Professional Quilters offers resources and networking opportunities for you to create a success from your quilting business.
Learn about all the benefits of IAPQ membership and join here.
