Long Arm Quilting

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Some new books


If you are a quilter like me you love a quilt book. If you ever come over you are welcome to my wonderful book collection. Well, here are 4 books that I bought recently.


This is the book that we will be using for our Kansas City Star Quilt of the month. It is not a newly published book, but new to me. It is a good book, and you can buy it for a song on Amazon...but be warned!!!!!! It is full of errors. make sure to test out block before you make an entire quilt. The good does out weigh the bad I assure you!


I love how the book features a  "modern" way to make each block.


It features the original block and some history. Thank goodness for the rotary cutter, right? Templates can be tedious to make.


The next book that is not new to publication either but new to me. American Beauties Rose and Tulip quilts is a wonderful book by Gwen Marston. I do love an applique book. This one can be found for super cheap on Amazon and it is well worth it! I don't think anyone can have too many Gwen Marston books.


This book was written when Gwen Marston (my very favorite quilter in the world) and Joe Cunningham were married.



This is a great book to actually read. All Gwen's books are great reads. She has so much wisdom to share and the books are so well written. I love how she and Joe try to set us free from templates and teach us how to make our own. I guess I have always done this since I learned to applique from Gwen, and it really didn't dawn on me that there was another way. But I love it that they have broken it down into "the way they work" steps.


Next up is a new book by Kathy Doughty of Material Obsession. Making Quilts. At my first flip through I was kinda turned off by the color pallets of all the quilts, but then I actually READ the introduction and first couple chapters and I love it. Her quilts are color inspired by the Australian Bush! In winter mind you...the colors are different in the summer. I loved her use of the glorious Australian light for her photography. I remember going out early to catch the sun light when it was just so....and returning to the same spot in the evening as the sun was setting to capture the moments when the trees shimmered from the sun setting on them. Nothing in the world like Australian light.


Kathy has some really great patterns. I like that many of the quilts are more challenging than the average quilt book being published these days. I love a challenge (I also love a quick and easy quilt).


I am mad for appliqué lately, so her appliqué quilts really speak to me.



This is definitely a great book to add to your library.


My last book to review is this great one by Lucie Summers. Quilt Improv. I adore this book for quite a few reasons. I love Lucie's voice. Reading her writing is just like talking with her in her Turkey Shed textile studio over a cup of tea. She breezes through explanations and has really simple step by step guide pictures. I love Improve quilting and I was afraid she would take something simple and freeing and make it complicated, but she did not! She made improve quilting appear just as simple as it actually is. She took something simple and made it simple. I love it!




I love her break down and inspiration pages and the book is filled with some fun projects.


I could have sworn there was a perfect page in the book that had all the techniques in one layout...but I can't find it now, so this is a good second favorite page of the book. This is the book that I have been carrying around in my bag and reading at doctor and dentist appointments. If only I could spend the same amount of time sitting in front of my sewing machine!

Anyway, check out some of the books see what you think...are there any books you love lately? I would love to hear about them!

*** By the way this is a totally unsolicited series of book reviews I get nothing at all for doing them and no one sends me free books, I just wanted to share them with you in case you are in the mood for something different.

4 comments:

  1. Too true ... one can never have too many books. I will have to look into those books.
    My favourites at the moment are a exhibition catalogue on Hawaiian quilts (Brandon and Woodard)- it's mostly eye candy but one day I will get to make one
    Then there is the standard book of quilt making and collecting by Ickis - well it's old but I like it because you actually have to think and can't just follow instructions without knowing at least the basics of block construction - which I think are somewhat important when you want to make up your own stuff ...
    Hmm then we have Amish patchwork from Lawson - it's only black and white drawings so you can grasp the patterns and not just see "pretty fabrics" turned into pretty quilts. And it'S go some basics - center things, medaillons, border planning etc
    And last but not least Quiltmaking by Hand from Beyer - I just love the use of border prints - ohh yeah and you can sew the patterns with a sewing machine too because I don't really have the patience for all the hand sewing ..

    well I will go back to lurking and marvelling at the quilted wonders that turn up here from time to time ...

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    1. Oh Leo! Great books! I love learning about new to me books. You can never go wrong with amish quilt books.

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  2. ooh. these look fantastic! I have so many projects to do and finish before I even think about starting another. Ok...so we all know that I have a few in the works and more planned already. :) Maybe I should look at Gwen's applique book. I haven't ventured into it yet but I love the look.

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    1. It is always great to have a bunch of quilts and projects in the work...even if just in the works of our imagination. I have taken to sitting down and doing a quick watercolor of different designs I see that I want to try or ones that I think up...at least then I have a concrete example of what I was thinking about way back when.

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Thanks for commenting! I read each one. I will either respond via email or here in the comments. xo - Tia