I wanted to do a quick review of my sewing/quilting bookshelf with you and talk about my favorites, and then I realized I have too many favorites to cover in one blog post. After all, who wants to read a 10 page essay on quilting books? Not me - so I'm splitting these up into two parts. This post will cover the books about techniques and tips, and I'll do another blog post to cover my favorite pattern books. Let’s get started.
The Complete Book of Sewing Short Cuts by Claire B Shaeffer
While this book is technically a sewing book - not specifically about quilting - it contains great information about sewing in general. And since I started on the garment and costumes side of the sewing needle, it's been in my book arsenal longer than most of my other books. There's great practical information about sewing machine care, sewing basics and getting your space organized; even the section on binding - which admitting focuses more on garment binding - you'll find the illustrations great and crossover nicely into the quilting universe.
The Quilter's Field Guide to Color: A Hands-On Workbook for Mastering Fabric Selection by Rachel Hauser
This is one of my newest acquisitions to my library. I've been searching for a good color theory book that didn't bore my socks off or get too technical, and I found it in this book. It also has the added bonus of being geared towards the quilting community. I think my favorite thing about this book are the practical hands-on challenges she gives in each chapter. Rachel will explain the ups and downs of color theory and then give the reader a mini-challenge to explore her words in the the real world. This book is designed to have you looking thru your stash, and never before have I seen the holes in my stash more clearly. She'll even give you tips on how and where to fill in those color holes in your stash too by including a removeable swatch card to take with you to the fabric store. This is a great book. I absolutely love it!
And check out her website - there's a slew of info and blog posts to explore. (Someday I want to be like Rachel when I grow up. Lol) https://www.stitchedincolor.com/ Lucky Spool's Essential Guide to Modern Quilt Making complied by Susanne Woods
When I first joined the Modern Quilt Guild, the chapter I originally joined did a quick "what's modern quilting lecture" and recommended this book. Originally, I just borrowed the book form the local library. (I always borrow the book first before I buy; best way to know if I want to keep is if I reach my "renew book" limit; plus as a daughter of a librarian I'm a big believer in supporting the public library wherever I move to.) After the lecture, I had to buy a color for myself. If you're new to modern quilting, or just interested in having a quick go-to reference book about what modern quilting is - then this is the book you need! The book is actually a compilation of 10 different modern quilters and their area of focus. It covers color, negative space, working with solid fabrics, alternate gridwork… and so much more! Each chapter even has a mini-workshop and pattern attached. I keep coming back to this book for inspiration and clarification. It's a must-own for any quilter dipping their toe or swimming in the deep-end of modern quilting. https://amzn.to/3GkLk7Q
WALK: Master Machine Quilting with your Walking Foot by Jacquie Gering
I have to give credit to my mom for this one; she took a class from Jacquie Gering, bought the book for yourself and a copy for me too. And since then I devour anything Jacquie has to say or do. (Funny story - my mom bought this book for me and at the time the sewing machine I used was so old it didn't have walking foot capabilities, so I read the book and dreamed of the day I could actually put the knowledge to use. Lol Thanks - mom!) This book is filled with beautiful, clear and concise photo - and the language compliments them perfectly. I've read all the books I've mentioned here, but this book I've treated like a college textbook. It's filled with handwritten notes and highlighting - that's my testament to how much I love it. Recently, she released a follow-up book to this one, Walk 2.0. I've yet to get my copy but it's on my wish list. https://amzn.to/3pyzbq0
Check out her website too. Along with being an inspiring quilter, amazing writer, she also teaches. And if my mom, who's been an educator and librarian for 40+ years recommends her, then if you have the chance take a class from Jacquie! https://www.jacquiegering.com/ Quilting Modern: Techniques and Projects for Improvisational Quilts by Jacquie Gering and Katie Pedersen
Yes - another Jacquie Gering book; because her walking foot book impressed me so much, I started looking at the rest of her portfolio. In this book she's joined with Katie Pedersen (another amazing quilter), and they give tons of modern quilting techniques and tips through the application of fun patterns and projects. I debated talking about this book in the second blog because it's so heavily pattern based, but there's a great four chapter intro on basics, design, and construction that supports it being in this blog. So we'll consider this final book as a teaser intro to the next blog post… Check out the pages on quilt binding in this book. It has some of the clearest explanation and graphics that I've seen anywhere. The patterns touch upon various topics including improvisation, traditional block manipulation, and the use of negative space. Filled with tons of beautiful graphics and photography makes this book a go-to for inspiration as well as fun quilt patterns and projects. https://amzn.to/3GlSrNI
Check out Katie's webpage here: https://www.sewkatiedid.com/
So those are just a few of the books on my shelves. I'm always searching the local library for new quilting books, so I'm search you'll see future blog posts. Speaking of which, be sure to come back to read Part two of this blog where I'll showcase some of my favorite pattern books. But before I go, I would be remiss if I didn't mention one publisher: Lucky Spools Publishing. LSP has published several of the above mentioned books, and I've found their other books as equally amazing as the ones I mention here.
Check them out at: https://luckyspool.com/collections/books Gotta get back to the lab! Cynthia
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