New Quilting Books

I will admit being addicted to books and especially sewing and quilting books. I was feeling very well the other day, so on top of running some necessary errands which usually leave me wiped out, I ended up at Joann Fabrics in front of the quilt book display (40% off no less)! I couldn't resist and two books and one magazine got popped into my cart. While many of the books on the display would have been of interest to me, when I picked these books up, they were so compelling I just knew I had to read them and study them. Of course, bringing them home made me want to try things out, except the elves have taken over my sewing room until December 25th. Until those projects are done I CAN NOT start another one except in my mind!!! See I'm being firm with myself.

The first one was Easy Grid Quilts . I have been seeing it advertised in quilting magazines, but the title didn't really help me understand the book and even though the front cover showed a compelling quilt I wasn't sure what it was about. Wow! What a book, especially for someone like me. When I finish any quilt project, all scraps are cut into set sizes of pieces. Generally I cut them into 2 1/2" squares, 4 1/2" squares and a 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangle, but I have plenty of other size pre-cut squares and pre-sewn pieces. In other words, I could probably make one of her quilts without cutting any fabric at this point. See why I have to hold myself off of starting any new project until Christmas is done? Her whole book shows that by following a particular grid with set sizes of blocks, with set colors or fabrics, and even including applique if you like; you can make a fantastic quilt. She actually shows several different type grids in the book. For those that have lots of pre-cut pieces that you want to try something new with this might be a good book for you to check out.

The other book I got was Thread Magic Garden: Create Enchanted Quilts with Thread Painting & Pattern-Free Appliqué.  While the author's quilts aren't technically the type of quilt that I would want to make, I did want to learn her techniques. When I opened the book in the store, I realized that I would really have to study the book. It wasn't just something that you can flip through and remember everything like some books. I'm not done studying it or reading it yet. However, this morning on the Quilting Arts TV show, Ellen Anne Eddy, was featured and she showed how she did what she talks about in her book so that really was helpful, besides she was a very funny lady. If you want to learn how to thread pain flowers, this book would be a good reference and instruction source for you.