Posts Tagged ‘books’

So many scrappy ideas: New book!

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, Giveaways, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

Is there anything more fun than a brand new book that is packed with possibility? I think not.

Scrap Quilts from Crumbs, Strips & Strings by Emily Bailey is hot off the press and let me tell you, it’s a good one!

Click image to pre-order!

Emily has taken traditional patchwork shapes like hexies, Log Cabins, stars, braids and Nine Patches and turned them on their head by using up leftover bits and bobs.

I can’t say I wanted to make a Grandmother’s Flower Garden before…but now I do!! Look at the size of those scrappy hexagons. And the dark scrappy ground is marvelous.

And if I ever make a braid quilt, it’s going to be this one in the coolest colors of all.

How about a little improv to make some flowers? They’re the perfect place for those favorite tiny scraps you couldn’t bear to toss.

Of the 15 patterns inside, the cover quilt called Fireworks is one of my favorites. The dullness of the grays with the brightness of the colored strips makes my heart sing. I’m probably going to make this quilt!

You can preorder the book now right from Emily, or ask for it at your local quilt shop when it arrives mid-October. Official publication date is 10/14. Get a better look at the quilts in the video below.

Let’s have a giveaway! Leave a comment for your chance to win Scrap Quilts from Crumbs, Strips & Strings by Emily Bailey. I’ll choose a winner on Oct 15 and notify by email.

Quilt on,

Best Books for Scrappy Quilts

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

I have a lovely surprise for you today!

Martingale is one of the leading book publishers in our industry and they’re having a BIG sale. Many books are priced at just $8. This includes titles released very recently, and this price is way below the wholesale price for books. Depending on the original price of a book, sometimes it’s more than 70% off.

Here are my recommendations for the best books featuring scrappy quilts. I’ve learned a lot by studying scrappy quilts made by others and I think you could, too.

This book is now $10, which is 66% off.

Where else can you get 44 scrap quilt patterns for $10? This is an absolute steal. Find it here.

I love LOVE the quilts in this book: Fresh Start Quilts. This title comes from the Iowa gals Mary Etherington and Connie Tesene collectively known as Country Threads.

Fresh Start Quilts is on sale for $8.

Isn’t that cover quilt just beautiful?! The book is on sale for $8, down from $26.99. Find it here.

Kim Brackett has written most of my all-time favorite scrappy quilt books, and her latest one ranks up with the rest.

Scrap-Basket Knockouts by Kim Brackett is another winner.

Scrap-Basket Knockouts delivers a punch and I wonder how Kim keeps a full-time day job AND continues to put out these dynamite designs. She’s my scrap quilt idol. Find the book for just $8 here.

A couple of others that are well worth owning at any price are 99 Machine Quilting Designs by Christa Watson…which is $8 on sale.

Just $8 now

And Feed Sacks by Linzee Kull McCray—so many wonderful pictures and a wealth of information if you like historical fabrics as I do.

Was $29.99, now $8.

I’ve only had my copy for a few months but it’s dog-eared already! Marked down to $8 from $29.99. Get it here.

You should know that these are not affiliate links and I’m not making money off your purchases. I just think it’s a great opportunity to get some helpful resources on scrappy quilts and other topics. See the entire sale right here: ShopMartingale.com

Quilt on,

Numbers, numbers

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, Inspiration, Magazines, Quilt Lifestyle

I started quilting when I was 24 and expecting my first child. It was 1984.

There happens to be a well-known piece of literature entitled 1984, by the way. Maybe that vintage book cover will help you think back.

I’m inviting you to remember how quilting used to be.

When I started quilting, I didn’t belong to a quilt guild because there weren’t any nearby. I subscribed to only one quilting magazine because the others on the newsstand were questionable—the lines around the templates were very fat, and even I knew that those were problematic.

Books, Books, Books

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

I’ve collected books full of antique quilts for many years.

I buy most of them second-hand. They are a great source of inspiration and I return to them again and again. Many of their titles are similar, and so I struggle to remember which ones I own.

American Quilts, The Democratic Art by Robert Shaw.
Sterling Publishing. 2009, updated 2014.

What’s interesting is that many weren’t written for quilters. Each book’s aim is slightly different, but only a few feature patterns for making the quilts inside.

Nostalgic Christmas Part 2: Abe and Angels

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, Quilt Lifestyle, Uncategorized

Another reason I’m calling this the Year of the Nostalgic Christmas is Abraham Lincoln. Not the president, really, but the children’s picture book from 1939.

When I was very young, the library at St. John’s Lutheran School had a copy of this book, and I checked it out often. I couldn’t get enough of the illustrations. I didn’t know that the book was by sophisticated artists who had won the Caldecott Medal in 1940.