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.
‘Tis the Season, Quilts and Other Comforts
By Jeanne Large and Shelley Wicks
Martingale & Co.; $24.99
Christmas is just around the corner and it’s never to early to get a start on holiday projects. Jeanne Large and Shelley Wicks, owners of the Quilt Patch in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, enjoy cold and snow for five months a year, and that weather inspires them to make and use quilts. This book features 10 projects for winter or holiday use along with additional instructions for incorporating wool and embroidery in your project. As shop owners, they know lots of tips for success and these are sprinkled throughout the book. Their designs are whimsical and simple, and I found several I wanted to make right away.
Here’s a link, if you’d like to add it to your library: http://tinyurl.com/Tis-the-Season-Quilts.
By Maxine Rosenthal & Joy Pelzmann
C&T Publishing; $22.95
Following up on the success of their earlier One-Block Wonder books, Maxine Rosenthal and Joy Pelzmann tackle adding graphic elements to their hexagon blocks. The previous books showcased techniques for hexagonal and octagonal kaleidoscope blocks from a single fabric and then adding cubes as a design element and additional fabrics. In this book, you’ll add triangles, including interlocking ad hollow triangles, and you’ll create illusions and add appliqué. The book includes 10 projects to reinforce the techniques. I loved the chapter on what to do with the leftover kaleidoscopes from your projects. One-Block Wonders fans enjoy. 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.
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.
I’m always on the lookout for different ways to market a business, and I discovered something really cool at my ophthalmologist’s office recently. One of doctors had created a PowerPoint featuring optical illusions, fun quizzes, etc., that plays on the wall of the lobby in the office building. The idea was expanded, and now each exam room includes a picture frame that has several hundred slides encompassing not just the fun things but also testimonials about the practice. This got me thinking about ways we could adapt this idea to quilt businesses. Here are some:
1. The first thought that comes to mind is with product demos in booths at shows. You could have several frames running at the sides of your booth. Of course, that’s in addition to your own demo to draw customers into the booth.
2. If you are a pattern designer and don’t demo in your booth, you could have the frame running with pictures of quilts made by your customers from your patterns. Nothing spurs a purchase like seeing how your quilt pattern can be made in multiple colorways, especially your favorite. I’d love to see this with bag patterns.
3. As my friend and longarm quilter Erin says, quilters travel in packs, so she always has extra chairs in the studio for the friends traveling with her clients. She could create a slide show of herself at work on her longarm and include shots of quilts that she has completed and any ribbons she has won, along with customer testimonials.
4. Art quilters could use this concept with a gallery show. Imagine slides showing you at work, slides of your work that isn’t in the gallery, and slides showing your work hanging in happy customers’ homes with their testimonials.
5. Shops could find lots of ways to use this idea – demos of new products that have arrived, samples from the classes on the schedule, covers of new books, fabrics on order. Imagine putting together one of pictures you took at Quilt Market focusing on all the new products you ordered.
6. Those of you who do craft shows could use the ideas that I have for art quilters: a slide show of you at work, photos of quilts or other products that you’ve sold, photos of your work in your customers’ homes. It’s great to offer people a picture of how your product will look in their surroundings.
I took a quick look at digital picture frames online and found them ranging in price from $30-$300, depending on size of the frame and all the extras, including the ability to add audio. I hope some of you will add this idea to your marketing toolbox and share your experiences with us.
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.
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.
