It is book central here lately! I enjoy a glimpse into books before I purchase, and I hope you do too!

Home Sweet Quilt is by the talented and sweet Jill Finley, also the creative force behind Jillily Studio, and fabric designer for Henry Glass Fabrics!

Home Sweet Quilt is written in four different sections, each a different area in our homes that flourish with the addition of a quilt, or quilted decor accessory.  The section with kitchen accessories is fantastic but this appliqued pretty, Overture, caught my eye, I love the shapes included, and the piecing is a perfect addition in the borders.

Jill has included her signature methods for applique, with detailed instructions for finishing by hand or machine. It’s hard to tell in the image, but … Read More »

I’m so excited to be the next stop on Natalia’s book tour!  In the Beginner’s Guide to Free-Motion Quilting Natalia is giving all of us the knowledge and tools to work her beautiful quilting patterns into our quilts at home!

Natalia has added a theme to the tour : It’s a Family Affair, I know for me anytime I’m sewing, I’m always surrounded by my family! My kids love fabric, and have been asking to make another quilt recently. My mom taught me to sew garments as a girl, along with the 4-H ladies, and since teaching myself to quilt, I’ve been teaching my mom the in’s and out’s of quilting! Quilting is definitely a family affair here – we’ve come full circle!

Beginner’s Guide to Free-Motion Quilting is a perfectly organized … Read More »

Hi friends! There are a number of new machine quilting books, and I think they all have something to offer the home quilter!  Personally I love to collect books, and was happy to receive a copy of The Complete Guide to Machine Quilting for review.

Joanie Zeier Poole has collected her knowledge of quilting and teaching quilting in this concise volume. She encourages the beginning quilter to jump in, and the experienced quilter to try something new!

The chapters are well organized, full of details about your sewing space, preparing your quilt, and quilting. Joanie also includes a few patterns to develop and practice new skills. Finally, there’s a chapter devoted to quilting designs, she includes multiple motifs, and examples of how you might use them in your quilts.

Part of setting … Read More »

Hi friends, and welcome to those of you that may be visiting for the first time! I’m Amy Ellis, quilter, blogger and author too – feel free to poke around and get to know me better if you haven’t stopped by before.

Small Pieces, Spectacular Quilts, by friends, Mary Elizabeth Kinch and Biz Storms, includes photographs of beautiful vintage quilts, and 10 fabulous quilt patterns inspired by antique quilts! Personally, I tend to lean toward larger pieces, but these small pieces have me reconsidering.  I was instantly drawn to Homeward Bound, a quilt that was pieced in solid blues and black.

It’s stunning, and I wanted to make a project inspired by it, so I decided to tackle a slightly smaller quilt, while still using small pieces.  This way I could make use of the tips included in … Read More »

Hi there! I’m jumping in on the Generation Q Magazine blog tour! I’m very excited for my friends at GenQ, this first issue is packed full of brilliant wit and charm, great information, and a couple patterns too!

If you aren’t familiar with Generation Q yet, be sure to check out their site, and like them on facebook for all the latest. Melissa, Jake, Megan and Scott have been working non-stop to get this community backed magazine to print. They live in  different areas around the states, and connect online like so many of us do on a daily basis. They “get” the quilting community and it is reflected in their pages! They have a way of writing that feels like you are chatting with a great friend – perfect.

GenQ includes information that you want to know about people in the industry (like the cute … Read More »

I always love to see what my friends at Fat Quarterly are sewing up, and was happy to have a chance to review their new book!  Shape Workshop for Quilters is a great addition to your quilting library – they have included 60 block patterns, and a dozen projects that include quilts, pillows and other home decor.

With the inclusion of so many blocks, the idea is that you use this book as a jumping off point for your creativity.  Push the boundaries of your comfort zone and create something truly unique!

Each shape has been given it’s own chapter – squares & rectangles, circles, triangles, stars, polygons and diamonds. Of all the chapters I think triangles is my favorite, the blocks are diverse and the projects are attainable.

I loved the quote at the beginning of the chapter “Triangles are … Read More »

First – Happy Mother’s Day to all of my mom, and mom at heart friends! I hope that you are enjoying the day with your family! Today is a double celebration at our house, as Ella turns 12 today! She was born the day before Mother’s Day 12 years ago, and I fully enjoy celebrating the day with our precious girl.

Have you seen this book tour in blogland? My friend, Emily, from Crazy Old Ladies wrote Geared for Guys, for the guys in all of our lives!

With eight great patterns, there’s something for every guy in this book! Whether your guy leans toward rustic and outdoors, or artistic and modern – Emily has you covered.

Over the course of May the book is being featured on a number of blogs, follow along to … Read More »

Hi Friends!  I’m excited to share Sarah Fielke’s new book with you today!

Quilting: From Little Things is a fabulous book full of inspiration, and great lessons too.  In the book Sarah has included 10 small projects to learn a new technique or method, and then 10 larger counterparts that allow you to put the method to the test.

The projects include applique, flying geese, foundation piecing, feathered blocks and inset piecing – each one is known to be a challenge, but when used or learned in a small project it isn’t so overwhelming!  Brilliant!

Did I mention wedges earlier?  Hanging Laterns is stunning, and a fun way to use dresden petals in a  new way.

For the novice quilters there’s also lessons in row construction, and strip piecing.  Don’t you … Read More »

I have the honor of sharing a new DVD with you today!

My friend Candy, recently filmed all her dyeing secrets with Quilting Arts, and has a 70 minute DVD to start you on your dyeing journey, or answer all your unanswered questions!

Candy is a Biology Professor at the University of Redlands, by day, which makes her very concise, and a great presenter of information!  The DVD is broken into chapters, making it easy to get to the information that you need.

I loved seeing Candy in action, she shares her methods for mixing dyes and how to scrunch/pleat your fabric for varied effects.  She uses a low water immersion process to dye, so you don’t need a 10 gallon pot to alter a yard of fabric (bonus!).  After many experiments, she … Read More »