New Quilting Books

A couple of weeks ago, while browsing through Kaleidoscope's online store, I inadvertently found myself buying three new quilting books. It could happen to anybody. Kaleidoscope are the bookseller who have the big stand at the Quilt Shows and they have a really good range of books. Want to see what I got?

I've been having a lovely time looking through my new books and dreaming of future projects - there's never enough time for everything you want to make, is there?

The first one is the latest book by Kathleen Tracy who is probably my favourite quilt designer; her love of reproduction fabrics, small quilts and history chimes perfectly with my own. I've made quite a few of her quilts over the years, including this little chessboard for my son.

From 'Prairie Children and their Quilts'.

This one was for my daughter's birthday earlier this year and is called 'Wagon Wheels'. I hand pieced it while looking after my Stepfather Bob last year and he thought it looked more like CDs.

From 'A Praire Journey'.

I added old photos printed on fabric to this one which was a present for my aunt. The pictures are of her and her brother and sisters.

From 'The Civil War Sewing Circle'.

This new book, Schoolgirl Sampler, is a bit of a departure from the others in that, instead of a collection of separate small quilts, it has 72 4" blocks which can be combined to make one large quilt.

Of course, you could also use the blocks to make smaller quilts and Kathleen provides seven patterns for these, just to get you started. I like this simple pinwheel quilt.

And I'm a sucker for anything using bubblegum pink fabric.

But of course most of the book is taken up with all those lovely blocks - so many to choose from.

As ever, Kathleen writes about the history of sampler quilts and this is where I had my 'aha' moment. I had always assumed that people (historically, young girls) pieced different blocks together as a learning process and, although this was true, the blocks were often not made into quilts. Instead, they would be kept in a special box as a reference tool for future quilts. Before women had access to printed patterns and books, these collections of blocks would have been invaluable and would have been shown to and shared with others.

At this point I remembered a reference in one of the Laura books to 'Mary's box of patchwork blocks'. I had always assumed that these were identical blocks intended for a quilt but now I wonder if this was just such a memory box as is referred to in the book. As fabric from home sewing was used for patchwork, the blocks would also have reminded women of the people who had worn the original clothes.

A slight diversion here as this seems a good time to show you a book my daughter bought me recently.

This is an American edition with illustrations by Helen Sewell. Here in England we are used to the Garth Williams editions so it was exciting to see something so different.

Now of course I want to collect matching copies of all the other books. And then there are the lovely paperbacks with the colour illustrations by Garth Williams ...

Anyway, I think I might just make blocks from this new book and then turn them into small quilts as and when the fancy takes me. Or should I turn them into my own memory book?

The next of the new quilt books is something a bit different. Tabletop Turnabouts by Jan Patek is a series of small quilts designed to be hung from a stand. Each quilt has two picture blocks so that you can turn it round for a different look.

Isn't that a clever idea? I particularly like this Christmas one.

The 12" blocks all use rough and ready style applique - very much my Mum's style which is what attracted me to the book I think. The Spring designs are lovely. Anyone for a bunny riding a chicken?

Or you could make a chick pull the bunny along in a cart ...

These remind me of the illustrations by Rosemary Wells - see what I mean?

From 'My Very First Mother Goose'

By the way, if anyone out there hasn't yet read Noisy Nora, go and find a copy now!

The last of my three new books turned out to be very exciting. Simple Whatnots by Kim Diehl is absolutely packed full with small quilts I want to make right now, this very minute.

This designer has such a good idea for colour; I'd seen her quilts here and there but have only ever made one of them I think.

It's pretty but all that applique isn't really me. But it turns out that Kim also designs beautiful pieced quilts. My only problem is which one to make first. 

Hexagons?

Little Houses?

Pinwheels?

More hexagons?

And just look at this beautiful little Orange Peel quilt decorated with lots of french knots.

There's some beautiful wool applique too, just using circles ... choices, choices.

Before I start yet another new quilt though, I want to finish the partner quilt to go with this one.

This is the quilt I made for Rose using half of the pile of half square triangles I pieced last year.

Put two squares of fabric, one light and one dark together, draw a line across the diagonal and then sew a quarter of an inch from each side of this line. When you cut along the drawn line, you'll end up with two identical half square triangles. I thought I would use one half to make a little quilt for Rose and the other for me. They'll be different layouts so fraternal rather than identical twins.

I think I'm going to lay mine out like this ...

The finished quilt are just the right size to fit on those very useful folding tables. I see it's called a TV table, presumably so that you can eat at it while watching television. I don't have a TV but it's just the right size for my Singer Featherweight machine, or my laptop, or a pot of tea ... Rose doesn't actually have one of these tables yet - what with living in one of the smallest flats known to humankind - but that's a minor detail. When she does get one (as everyone does eventually) her quilt will be all ready for it.