Lucky Spool's Essential Guide to Modern Quilt Making

Lucky Spool's Essential Guide to Modern Quilt Making
From Color to Quilting: 10 Design Workshops by Your Favorite Teachers
Editors at Lucky Spool
Publisher: Lucky Spool Media
ISBN: 9781940655000
Paperback: 192 pages

About the Book:

Ten of the best known and most respected teachers in modern quilt making, many bestselling authors in their own right, share one of their most popular workshops with you. Each class is designed to help you improve your own composition and design choices whether you create your own patterns or want to follow one of the 16 patterns included. The final workshop is an inspirational gallery of 50 modern quilts that exemplify the tone, color work, and techniques found in modern quilt making today. This is the must-have collection of modern quilt making.

My Thoughts:

First, I must comment on the cover. I buy books when their covers impress me. Yes, I know I'm not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I can't help it - I love covers. This cover is bland and boring to me, and if I saw it on the shelf I wouldn't have purchased it. That would have been my loss, as there is so much great information to be had here.

Let's look at the table of contents:

1. The Principles of Color
2. Working with Solids
3. Working with Prints
4. Improvisational Patchwork
5. The Alternate Grid
6. Circles and Curves
7. Paper Piecing
8. Large-Scale Piecing
9. Modern Quilting
10. A Study of Modern Quilts
Plus templates to make 16 quilts.

My largest downfall with quilting or really any project is color. I know what I like when I see it on covers, quilts, afghans, etc. but I have no talent when it comes to putting the colors together on my own. This book goes into detail about color and color theory and has a LOT of good information in it that helped me.

I also like the sections on Circles and Curves as well as Paper-Piecing. They are well done and helped me with some of my problems that I've had in the past when it comes to these techniques.

This is a book I will be purchasing the hard copy of to keep in my quilting library to reference over and over again. It's a great book and will help beginners as well as experienced quilters alike. Make sure to add this to your quilting library - you won't regret it.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley courtesy of the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, but instead, one that gives my honest opinion.

A Vintage Surprise

As we approach our first anniversary here in our new home, I figured it was time to start going through the boxes of things that came out of our attic - things from our past as well as from my mother and my mother-in-law when they both died. Many boxes were just stuffed and delivered to the attic at the old house without ever going through them. Our intention was to sort the things after the pain of loss had lessened. Well, it was easy to ignore them in the attic... out of sight, out of mind! That was until we had to move them all here.

With the cold months quickly approaching and the garden has grown quiet, it is now the  perfect time to start sorting and seeing what treasures and memories those boxes have in store for us. One thing I came across that I had completely forgotten about was a cross-stitch quilt top that needs to be put together, embroidered and then the whole thing quilted. It is a very pretty piece and has all the threads and fabric included. I wish I knew what time period it was from. I'm guessing the 50's but so far, I can't find any information on the web about it. 

This top appears to have been offered in "Bride and Home" magazine and I've found some issues on the web dating back to the 50's and 60's. I've combed through everything in the bag but nothing gives a clue on the age of this lovely top.

The piece is in panels that need to be sewn together before embroidering it. I'm not sure how I'm going to like seams running through the piece but they may disappear in the background after it is finished and quilted. The strips are yellowed - some more than others and there lines where it was folded. I can't wash it before working on it, because it's possible the printed design will wash out. I guess that will just be the charm of the piece when it is finished. Now I just need to live long enough to complete it! 

Do you have any interesting vintage things that you love or have to make? I'd love to hear about them!!!