New Quilt Books

One of the most frustrating things for me about quilting is trying to envision a quilt pattern in colors other than the ones pictured in the pattern.   "Alternative colorways" are sometimes provided in magazines, but usually there's just one alternative.

In Triple-Play Scrap Quilting, Nancy Allen includes instructions for three different versions of each of her nine scrap quilts.   The "planned" version uses multiple fabrics in 3 or 4 colors;  the "coordinated" version uses coordinated fabrics from a single fabric line; and a "make-do" style that is truly scrappy and uses only fabrics she already has in her stash.  Simple, easy to follow instructions with well drawn diagrams makes this a good choice for scrappy or not-so-scrappy quilt ideas.

'Tis the Autumn Season - Fall Quilts and Decorating Projects, the new book by Jeanne Large and Shelley Wicks combines traditional quilting with chunky applique to create 12 fun fall projecets projects.  Traditional patterns are combined with a variety of applique methods to make lap quilts, table toppers, wall hangings  or pillows.  Applique templates and advice are included, and if you look carefully you'll find recipes for three fall treats as well.

Seamingly Scrappy, by Rebecca Silbaugh is the best of both worlds: simple scrappy quilts made from precut fabrics.  By using precut packs, Silbuagh has taken all the stress out of fabric selection that usually comes with making a scrappy quilt.   Precut packs come in various sizes and are made up of fabrics from a single line, so they automatically go together.  The most common sizes are rolls of 2.5" strips by the width of the fabric (which is about 42") called Jelly Rolls;  5" x 5" Charm Squares or Charm Packs; 10" x 10" Layer Cakes; and 18"x22" Fat Quarters.  Each project begins with a full page color photo of the project,  a materials list and easy to follow cutting instructions.  The patterns are basic, but that's what makes this book so fun.  You can turn out a complicated looking scrappy quilt in no time!

In the early 1980's a quilt pattern company was born on a small farm near Garner, Iowa.  The brainchild of quilters Mary Etherington and Connie Tesene, Country Threads, Inc., is now one of the most well known and loved pattern and book lines in the US, and Mary's farm, home of their retail store and quilt retreat center, is one of the most popular quilting stops in Northern Iowa. With over 800 patterns and more than 20 books published to date, any new Country Threads book is eagerly awaited by quilters far and wide.

The Blue and the Gray - Quilt Patterns using Civil War Fabrics has just arrived at ICPL.  These 18 quilts were originally designed for Country Threads' Civil War Quilt Club, and focus on traditional Civil War era styles, colors, and simple piecing methods.  Beautiful full page photographs and easy to follow cutting and piecing instructions are included for each project.