Between Heaven and Texas

SewCalGal had the opportunity to review an advance copy of "Between Heaven and Texas", by Marie Bostwick, which will be available in bookstores on April 30th.  And, I'm delighted to be able to share insights with you today.

Between Heaven and Texas is a prequel to Marie's Cobbled Court Quilts series.  It is a heartwarming read that makes me eager to read the next book in this fun new series!  There is plenty of Texas humor and you'll certainly be entertained with the residents of Too Much, Texas as you see their personalities, hardships and dreams unfold.

Two twin sisters grow up, each with different talents and paths take them in directions that they were not quite what they dreamed of.  Lydia Dale has a talent for winning beauty pageants and Mary Dell is a talented seamstress, who teaches herself to quilt and dreams of becoming a quilting legend one day.  At a young age, both woman succumb to the family's "fatal flaw" (falling for a "certain sort of man").  But the two sisters have backbone and talent that helps them get through rough times, while they mature into fine young woman who seem to be able to achieve what ever they set their mine to.

SewCalGal recommends this book to every quilter and those that simply enjoy a good heartwarming story.  And, certainly if you enjoyed the Cobbled Court Quilt novels, you are definitely going to enjoy this new series, where Mary Dell Templeton is a young woman.  If you haven't yet read the Cobbled Court Quilt novels this would also be a great book for you to start with.  I just want to warn you, that you will probably fall in love with Mary Dell and Lydia Dale and be as eager as I am to read the next book in this new series!  

Go get some Moon Pies, Dr. Pepper and a copy of "Between Heaven and Texas".  Find a quiet place in the shade.  Relax and enjoy reading this wonderful new book!




To celebrate the release of this new book Marie Botwick and the Quilting Gallery have teamed up with twelve talented designers for a fun blog hop.  Each of these designers will be creating a 12" star-themed quilt block and they'll be daily book give-aways too!


Here is the line-up for this event:

Monday, April 29 – Marie Bostwick
Tuesday, April 30 – Michele – Quilting Gallery
Wednesday, May 1 – Bonnie – Quiltville
Thursday, May 2 – Pat – Pat Sloan
Thursday, May 2 – Kim – Persimon Dreams
Friday, May 3 – Melissa – Happy Quilting
Saturday, May 4 – Jo – Jo’s Country Junction
Sunday, May 5 – Wendy – Ivory Spring
Monday, May 6 – Victoria – Bumble Beans Inc.
Tuesday, May 7 – Vicki – Quilting Lodge Blog
Wednesday, May 8 – Melissa/Jake – Generation Q Magazine
Thursday, May 9 – Jennifer – Sew Hooked
Friday, May 10 – Jackie – Canton Village Quilt Works

You can find Marie Bostwick at:

www.mariebostwick.com
https://www.facebook.com/mariebostwick

FTC Full Disclosure - Marie Bostwick a copy of this book for SewCalGal to review.  But, SewCalGal reserves the right to provide her honest feedback on any review.   

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana

In May, I enjoyed a review by BurdaStyle on the book "The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe", by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon.  There was also a giveaway for a copy of this book  and I was lucky to be the winner.

This heartwarming true story is about sixteen-year-old Kamela Sediqi, who is a student that wants to be a teacher, at the time the Taliban takes over Kabul.  Women who previously wore European style clothing and had the right to go to school, to walk alone in public,  were instantly forced to wear an outfit that covered them from head to toe, called a chadri.  And, if they were to appear in public they needed to have a male relative escort them.  Being caught violating any of the Taliban rules would result in a violent punishment.  Besides finding their worlds become prisons at home, many families, especially those headed by woman, were now without an income to buy food and other necessities.  Yet, Kamela learned to sew, embroider and to build a home-based business to help her become the bread winner for her family.  And, she built her business whereby she hired others to help work in her home based business, as well as taught them how to sew and embroider.

I am not wanting to write a detailed review of this book, as I do believe the review by BurdaStyle is excellent.  But I do want to share how much I enjoyed reading this book.  I think it is an excellent book that would also be enjoyed by any sewing, embroidery or quilting enthusiast too and hope that you all have a chance to read this inspirational book.

I found "The Dressmaker of Khair Khana" to be an inspirational book that showed the importance of leadership, women helping each other, sisterhood,  and how cottage businesses can make a difference in the lives of many people.  And, that one person can truly make a difference!

This book is also available for purchase at many book stores, as well as on Amazon.com. 

I hope you'll have a chance to check out this book soon.  And, if you have also read a copy of it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

The Double Cross, by Clare O'Donohue

Set in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains, an old home is being fixed up to become a B&B for quilters.  This "Patchwork Bed-and-Breakfast" is owned by a couple that know nothing about quilting, but are smart enough to hire Susanne Hendrick, as a quilt instructor to come help.  Suzanne brings with her Nell Fitzgerald, Eleanor Cassidy, Bernadette "Bernie" Avallone.  Unfortunately the quilters had no idea what a broken down place they were going to.

Bernie still has a soft spot in her heart for her high school boyfriend, George Olnhausen, who is the owner of this new B&B. When George is murdered, many wonder if Bernie was the killer.  But the plot thickens as others are revealed as suspects, for a variety of reasons, including George's spouse.  Other bodies are found in the woods and the plot thickens, all while the first quilt retreat is being held at this delightful B&B. 

Nell is the quilting sleuth that become suspicious and sets off on investigating even when the police have begun to investigate.  Mysterious things happen, with a variety of quilting treasures disappear, bones being found, and complex relationships being revealed.

While I can't give away all the details, I can share my own opinion.  The Double Cross is a fun read that is quite entertaining. I actually would love to see this book made into a movie and/or play.  Clare O'Donohue did a great job with this book.  I am already looking forward to reading other books that she has written. 

The Double Cross book would certain make a great gift too, and a perfect stocking stuffer! 

Also, Clare will be holding some book signings on Nov. 9th in NYC at the City Quilter., and Nov. 11th in Hamilton, NY at the Colgate Bookstore.

http://www.clareodonohue.com/

Dress your Dog

Why the focus of my blog is quilting, sewing & embroidery, I just couldn't resist sharing this insight with you.  And, I must confess that I get a big smile whenever I see a dog dressed in a cute outfit, even better when it is handmade!

I'm so hoping that some of the dogs, in the upcoming Pets on Quilt show, will not only be sitting on beautiful quilts, but also wearing cute little outfits. And I know they'll look especially cute if they are wearing a knit from one of the patterns in the new book "Dress your Dog".

To get you inspired, plus to enjoy a cute chuckle, take a look at this fun video of a fashion show for pooches.


"Dress Your Dog: Nifty Knits for Classy Canines" was written by Sys Fredens and Martingale & Company. This delightful book has 30 "dog pleasing designs", for cute pooch attire. Designs include sweaters, pillows, leashes, collars, carrying bags, and a felted mat.  Some use knitting needles, while others use crochet needles. All are the designs are cute and fun.

This book is well written, with good instructions in various sizes (S, M, L).

The photography is excellent, with charming models. Of course, I also enjoyed the notations of what the cute pooches are thinking while modeling these charming outfits!

There is even a basic guidelines section, to help the beginner who wants to learn to knit or crochet. It is full of easy to follow instructions, with excellent visuals.

This is a delightful book that will help you make cute pooch outfits to enable your pooch to smile and charm everyone, or make gifts that will be appreciated by fellow dog lovers.

This is certainly a fun book. SewCalGal highly recommends it. Sys Fredens and Martingale & Company did an excellent job! Love it!

You can also order a copy of this cute book at Martingale & Company.

Oh, would it be fun to see every dog dressed up in one of these cute outfits?  I love all of them!

Copyright Notice: All photos displayed in this article are copyright protected. Permission was given by Martingale & Company to be used in this article. Please do not use or print these photos without seeking permission by the publisher.

The Aloha Quilt

The spirit of Aloha and Hawaiian quilting has certainly been captured in the new book by Jennifer Chiaverini.  "The Aloha Quilt" is the sixteenth book in the Elm Creek Quilt series. And, from my perspective, it is a delightful book that is perfect for quilters, as well as those that love Hawaii.

The basic plot of this book: Bonnie leaves her comfortable surroundings of Elm Creek Quilters in Pennsylvania, while going through a divorce, after finding her husband has been having an affair.  Bonnie takes on a role as a consultant to a friend from college, Claire, who wants to create something similar to Elm Creek Quilters, in Hawaii.  Both Bonnie and Claire focus their energies on planning for the opening of the "Aloha Quilt Camp".  Indirectly,  Bonnie is introduced to the Aloha spirit, and learns more than new quilting techniques.  Hint:  Life can toss a surprise or two when you are least expecting, but you can survive with the support of family and friends.

I loved the insights that were weaved into this Elm Creek Quilter's story, sharing insights about Hawaiian history, culture, values and quilting. While this was my first book to read, in the Elm Creek Quilt series, I found it to be an easy to read and entertaining book.  And, I definitely recommend it to others that enjoy a heartwarming story and/or fiction stories that focus on quilters.  This delightful book is sprinkled with qulting fun, and peppered with great insights on Hawaii.  Even if you are not able to travel to Hawaii, to read this book, I think you will enjoy reading it, where ever you are,  and you will certainly want to read more of the Elm Creek Quilt series.   I know I certainly want to read more of the Elm Creek Quilt series!

http://www.simonandschuster.com/

http://www.elmcreek.net/

Spectacular Rectangles

Another delightful quilt book has been released this spring called "Spectacular Rectangles: 12 Quilts from a Simple Shape", by Ilene Bartos, published by Martingale & Company, home of That Patchwork Place.

Every design comes with a fun "quilting suggestion".

Basket Weave pattern used a combinittaion of fat-quarter colleciton of gradated atiks with a black background.  Really makes this design pop! 

Excellent instructions with great visuals

Autumn paths is a spectacular design with easy to follow instructions.  All based on strips of braids in rectangular bars where placement of the ligtest colors in the center of the quilt make it very spectacular.  More insights are shared in this book.

Treasure oxes is such a fun design, that would work for a beginner quilter, as well as an advanced quilter.  It is also a design that would easily allow anyone interested in playing with fibre-arts to expand upon this lovely design.

To Be an Elm Creek Quilter

In celebration of the release of the Circle of Quilters, which was the 9th novel of the Elm Creek Quilts series,  Jennifer Chiaverini launched a quilt block design contest to her fans. The block that best captured the spirit of Elm Creek Quilts would become the series' new logo. And, to my delight, C&T Publishing worked with Jennifer to publish "To Be an Elm Creek Quilter", which contains block designs from the top 10 finalists in this contest:
Jane Clocker, Candy Hargrove, Shelley Stevens, Flora Brooks, Deb Thomas, Nancy R. Shotick, Keri Minnick, Gayla McDonald, Debra Shetler, and Tanya Anderson.

To Be an Elm Creek Quilter  provides templates for traditional block patterns, insights on foundation piecing, and insights on applique (hand or machine) designs.  All of the blocks are lovely and can be used to create a sampler showcasing these top ten blocks from Jennifer's fans.  Insights are also provided to layout these blocks. 

This is a delightful ebook with easy to follow instructions that will help you make beautiful blocks, and create your own Elm Creek Quilt.  Yes, you can be an Elm Creek Quilter!

Published by C&T Publishing, Inc.,
PO Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549.

You can purchase a copy of this delightful ebook directly from C& T publishing:  click here

EQ6 Applique' Drawing

Electric Quilt Company has four excellent companion books for EQ6.  I've been playing with EQ6 and enjoying the lessons found within the companion book:  EQ6 Appliqué Drawing, Beginner's Guide to Drawing Like a Pro, by Angie Padilla.  Angie is a well known designer, who is also the creator of  the My Dream House add-on for EQ5 and EQ6. This book provides a large collection of short exercises that are perfect for a beginner to advanced EQ6 user, who wants to develop their skills on creating applique designs in EQ6. 

This powerful book has eight chapters, each full of short lessons, provide simple to follow instructions and great visuals.  You start off with simple drawing steps that are so easy to follow that even a non-artist (me) can easily create cute drawings in EQ6.

And, even while learning the basics you'll be amazed how quickly you'll be creating delightful applique designs.  I also love how easy it is to export these cute designs to be able to take images (e.g. jpg, bmp) to create greeting cards, etc.

Before you know it, by Chapter 3 you are creating more complex designs and feeling very creative and inspired to create more.

By Chapter 5 you are learning how to put all the the insights together to create amazzing designs.  I love how you can pull in an image, easily trace it, and ultimately create an applique design based on your image (e.g. rabbit). 

This book is amazing.  I strongly recommend this companion book for EQ6 users.  EQ also provides a sample lesson, from this book, that you may want to check out:  http://tinyurl.com/yeq5bqk

For more info on this book:  http://tinyurl.com/y8uw8ss

While I'm a newbie to EQ6 and have just started the exercises in this delightful EQ6 Applique Drawing book, I spent a few minutes today playing (and learning).  My personal exercise, using some basic insights from this book, was to create a little quilt for EQ the Mouse.  Tomorrow, April lst, EQ the Mouse's 19th birthday. So, I decided I'd make a quilt with a picture of EQ the Mouse and a big block of swiss cheese.

If you are not familiar with EQ the Mouse, you can get to know him on Facebook:  http://tinyurl.com/create.php  But EQ the Mouse is a fun little mouse, that is quite talented and very friendly.  But he does like to travel with Penny Morris and clearly doesn't like being left behind.  If you are on Facebook I hope you'll become a Fan of EQ The Mouse and go wish him a very Happy Birthday!

And I do hope you'll pick up the companion books for EQ6.  I highly recommend EQ6 Applique' Drawing, by Angie Padilla.  Great book and great way to build your EQ6 skills!


http://www.electricquilt.com/Shop/EQ6Books/EQ6AppDraw.asp

Stash Magic, by Jaynette Huff

I'm really enjoying the arrival of spring.  It is especially delightful with all the new book releases.  I've particularly enjoyed the new book "Stash Magic, 13 Quilts That Make The Most of Your Fabric Collection", by Jaynette Huff.   "Stash Magic" is published by Martingale & Company, home of That Patchwork Place.

"Stash Magic" contains thirteen (13) new ways to use up your stash. But, I was so inspired by this book that I could see quilters that go out and buy fabric to create quilts, using the beautiful designs and insights shared in this delightful book.  To clarify, this book is perfect for quilters of all levels, and for those that may want to use fabric in their stash or plan a quilt with new fabrics.  It contains easy to follow instructions with great visuals and photographs.  Jaynette has incorporated insights on many quilting techniques in this book, including paper foundation piecing, english paper piecing and many other tips.  But the specialty that Jaynette shares is various ways that you can use odd scraps of fabrics to create beautiful quilts.

 



















Many quilters become fabric collectors and over time, look for ways to consume fabric in their stash.  This is where Jaynette focused her ideas for "Stash Magic".  She loves to create scrappy quilts, yet make them look very special.   Clearly, insights in this book go beyond the typical scrap quilt and make a spectacular quilt!

"Scrap Magic" contains full size paper piecing patterns to help you create quilt designs in this book. And the techniques, which Jaynette shares, could easily be adapted to allow you to create unique versions of these designs, as you become a master stash manager!

"Stash Magic" would be a delightful book for any quilter to buy for their library, or to give as a gift. 

I've always loved scrap quilts, but seriously "Stash Magic" helps you go way beyond the traditional scrap quilt.   This is an inspirational book!  You should be able to find it at your local quilt shop, or at Amazon.com.

500 Art Quilts

An amazing new book was recently published, called "500 Art Quilts, An Inspiring Collection of Contemporary Work".  Karey Patterson Bresenhan, the founder and president of Quilts, Inc., and the director of the International Quilt Festival, selected these works of art.

Personally, I agree with Karey's reference in this book that "Twenty years ago, the issue of whether quilting should be considered an art or a craft was a big question".  Quilting has come a long way and this book clearly draws appropriate tribute and recognition to the quilt artists that are represented in the collection of 500 Art Quilts in this amazing book, published by Lark Books, a division of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. and edited by Ray Hemachandra.

The quilts in this collection are made in fabric, or other media, and represent a diverse collection of designs and techniques.  All of the artists represented are very talented and have utilized fiber and thread to allure the reader into enjoying their contemporary art.

There is minimal text in this book, allowing the reader to enjoy the art and let each piece speak to the reader, as great art does.  There is joy, sadness, nature, mystery, intrique, humor, love, whimsical, scenic, romance and more are represented in these beautiful pieces of art all beautifully photographed and displayed in this delightful book.

{above} Desiree Dianne Habict, Crepe Paper Poppies, 2006. 
Fabric, ink, beads, crystals, yarn;hand painted, thread worked, sewn.

{above} Melinda Bula, Social Climber Roses, 2005.
Cotton, rayon thread, fusible applique';machine quilted.

{above} Maureen O'Doogan, Me and the Pelican, 2008
Cotton; needle felted, fused, raw-edge, appliqued, free-motion quilted.

{above} Terri Stegmiller, Blue-Mers Paper Quilt, 2008
Cotton, interfacing, thread, newspaper, book pages, tissue paper, textile paint, glue, acrylic paint, ink, charcoal; collaged, glued, free motion stitched.



This book belongs on the coffee table of every quilter, fiber artist and art lover where it can be picked up and savored over and over again.


Artists in this book include:   Charlotte Bird,  Melinda Bula,  Jamie Fingal, Desiree Dianne Habicht,
Shelly Pagliai,  Judy Coates Perez,  Terri Stegmiller, Mary Tabar,  and many more amazing artists from places all over the world. 

Some might think that only fibre artists may enjoy this book, but I believe this book would be enjoyed by all quilters, as well as anyone that admires high quality contemporary art.  It is a wonderful book that can be admired over and over again.

As I've been asked by many people, as to where you can purchase a copy of this amazing book, here are some sources that have this book for sale:

Larkbooks.com

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble

Copyright Notice:  All photos displayed in this article are copyright protected.  Permission was given by Lark Books, a Division of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. to be used in this article.  Please do not use or print these photos without seeking permission by the publisher.

It's A Wrap II

I love spring time when everything is new.  I especially love new book releases.  And, I'm so excited to be able to get a copy of "It's A Wrap II", by Susan Breier, published by Martingale & Company, home of That Patchwork Place.

Susan's new book shows her easy method of how to wrap coiling line and fabric to make fantastic bowls, as well as make exciting new shapes, handles, lids and totes.  This book contains 20 new designs with excellent instructions and photos.  There are also many delightful insights that go way beyond the basics, such as insights on how to enhance fabrics with paint.

There are insights on how to make circle baskets, triangle baskets, square baskets, heart shaped baskets,  and more.  I also loved the inspirational insights on embellishing these projects.

And I was certainly inspired by all the insights on how to make purses and totes using her techniques.

Overall, I'm delighted with this new book "It's A Wrap II", by Susan Breier.  It is an inspirational book that will help anyone create wonderful bowls, totes and purses for use in their home, or to share as gifts.  I think you'll love it too!

I was also impressed to learn that the prior version of this book, "It's A Wrap", is still in print! Yes, it is in the 10th reprinting, as it is such a popular book.  So, go get a copy of "It's A Wrap II" soon. I'm sure this book will be a sell out very soon!  And while you are at it, if you don't already have a copy of the original "It's A Wrap", I encourage you to get a copy of it too! 

Both books are available for purchase from Martingale & Company. 

New Book Released: "More Favorite Traditional Quilts Made Easy", by Jo Parrott

 "More Favorite Traditional Quilts Made Easy", by Jo Parrott  is a delightful new book published by Martingale & Company/That Patchwork Place and released January 12th.  It is a follow-up book to "Favorite Traditional Quilts Made Easy", also by the same author and publisher, which was a very popular book!

This new book is an excellent book for beginner quilters thru advanced quilters!  There are many delightful traditional projects in this book, all with new tricks & insights on how to make beautiful quilts using a no-template method.  The traditional designs include:  A Storm at Sea, Broken Star, Geese in Flight, Stars on the Water, and others.  There are actually seven great projects, plus two bonus projects in this book. 

I love this beautiful "Stars on the Water" project.  And, there is also a bonus project that shows you how to make a "Floral Table Runner" using design blocks from this quilt design.

All of the quilt designs in this book have easy to follow instructions, with great visuals.  Many excellent tricks are also provided for each design. 

I love how insights are provided on how to create the beautiful Broken Star design using a strip method.  And how to get a "bonus project", which is a cute wallhanging, by using diamond unit segments from making the Broken Star quilt.

And the "Green Frogs at Sea" quilt design is a delightful design that would work great with just about any novelty print, as well various prints.  I also love scrap quilts, and really like her "Scrapy Rectangles" design.  It is truly impossible to pick my favorite project in this wonderful book!  They are all projects that I'd love to make a quilt for my home, charity project, and/or gift! 

This is a wonderful new book that  I recommend you check out soon.  You can find it on the Martingale & Company online store, and I also think any "good" quilt store will be showcasing it with the "new releases" for Spring 2010.

Day & Night Quilt, by Eleanor Burns & Michelle Countess

Day & Night, by Eleanor Burns and Michelle Countess takes a traditionall paper pieced pattern and shows how easy it is to make lovely quilts from strips!  As they share, this "illusion" is created by using the acrylic template, which is included in the back of this delightful book.

The book is well written, well organized, and has excellent instructions & photographs.  Instructions are provided for a variation of this quilt using three color strips or four color strips, plus "bonus" projects to use with strip leftovers. 

As I wondered how Eleanor & Michelle picked the title theme  "Day & Night", I found answers in a  chapter that provides insights on Fabric Selection, to help you select delightful fabrics to make a striking quilt.  Visuals and text provide insights on identifying and selecting light to medium fabrics (day) and richly colored fabrics (night).  These tips are helpful for making a quilt from this book, but will certainly carry forward to help select contrasting fabrics in a variety of other quilt designs too!

There is an excellent "General Techniques" section that provides insight on cutting strips and other tips & techniques that are helpful for beginning quilters. I also found the excellent visuals to be great reminders for the experienced quilter, as well as the quilter who gets recruited to help others "learn" to quilt. 

This book provides insights to create 5 different designs with insights on how to add borders, quilt & bind your quilt.  Plus, information is provided on how to turn scraps from this quilt into beautiful table runners and other projects.

I'm confident this book will you make striking quilts that will be treasured for many years to come.  I also believe this book is an excellent value (includes ruler) and would make a delightful gift!

http://www.quiltinaday.com/

This book is also currently "on sale" via the Quilt In A Day on-line store:  http://www.quiltinaday.com/shoponline/books_display.asp?i=20490&pg=

Comfort & Joy

"Comfort and Joy 14 Quilts for Christmas", by Mary Hickey is a delightful book.  This book offers several designs in colors perfect for the holidays, yet most of these designs would work any time of the year.  This book is published by Martingale & Company, which always does an excellent job producing high quality books.  This particular book is well written and has an excellent balance of photographs & instructions, perfect for all levels of quilters.

Personally, it is difficult for me to select my favorite design in this book, as I love all of them.  I love the "Christmas Star Banner".  This design is a lovely design for the holidays, as well as any holiday celebration, and to decorate anytime of the year. 

The "Ribbon Wreath" quilt is definitely perfect for the holidays, but I can also see this design being adapted for many occassions and color schemes.

And the "Little Forest" design is a spectacular design that clearly works anytime of the year.  But at Christmas, how perfect to display this delightful quilt.

But then I love the Watching for Santa design, and the Midnight Star is gorgeous, and Santa's Village is delightful, Frolicking Frosties is sew much fun, and the Great Kindergarten Angel Christmas Pageant is a showstopper.....along with all the other delightful designs in this wonderful book.

I'm hoping to keep it a secret until Chrismas morning which projects I make from this delightful book.  But certainly I'll be making several Christmas gifts using designs & insights from this book, as well as making items to proudly display at my home.  I do hope you'll join me and have some fun making Christmas gifts and decorations from this special book.

http://www.martingale-pub.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=1_40&products_id=641