Simply Sensational Square-agonals® Quilts
Sandi Blackwell
Landauer; $24.95

If you missed Sandi Blackwell’s earlier book, here’s your chance to learn her easy technique for creating quilts with a diagonal setting without adding setting and corner triangles. She uses a mathematical concept known as “dissection.” When creating your blocks you just cut, rotate and reassemble. In the introduction, Sandi explains the math to you, only it’s not necessary to know as she points out. She provides directions for constructing 12 quilts, which are not on the diagonal, and then she shows you how to make two cuts, rearrange the pieces and then sew them back together to create the diagonal set. The instructions are clear, and if you or your students get thrown by creating setting triangles, give this technique a try.

Look for the book at your favorite book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

Happy Endings
Mimi Dietrich
Martingale; $24.95

Twenty-five years, a quarter of a century – that’s a long time for a quilt book to be in print and remain of value. Now re-released, Happy Endings is a terrific resource in your quilting library. Mimi Dietrich covers what to do with your quilt once the top is done, beginning with adding borders, preparing a backing, basting the quilt sandwich, and finally the actual finishing of your quilt. Not all quilts use a binding, so she teaches you how to finish without a binding, whether that is using an envelope-edge technique or using the backing to finish the quilt. I like some of the special techniques, e.g., using striped fabrics and creating scrappy bindings, adding prairie points or covered cording. And, a quilt is not finished until you add the label and a hanging sleeve, so that’s included, too. A valuable reference for all quilters.

Look for the book at your favorite book retailer. Here’s a link to ShopMartingale if you would like to learn more about the book.

Eleanor Burns hosts a year-long block party that is available via livestream on her website. This book is the collection of the patterns plus from 2012. When Eleanor was considering the topic for 2012, someone suggested she create blocks named after food. That was followed by a suggestion that she add in a cooking lesson. You’ll find 6″ and 12″ blocks for Melon Patch and Broken Dishes among others, as well as a 20″ block for Cherry Basket. Of course, they’ll all combine into a large sampler quilt. If a sampler isn’t your choice, you’ll find direction for lots of full-size quilts and wall hangings from the blocks. In addition to the quilt blocks, you can enjoy the recipes that inspired each. The book includes a wire binding so it can lay flat and lots of full-color illustrations to ensure success with your project.

It’s always exciting to see what’s new on the market, whether that’s fabric, notions or a new magazine. Here’s my take on some of what I saw at Quilt Market last week.

Color, color, color. We are still seeing lots of bold and bright colors. I didn’t see pastels. I did see lots of fabrics that were reminiscent of 1930s fabrics. I also saw more what a friend termed “street wearable” patterns and more embroidery patterns. Here are some more specifics.

1. I mentioned embroidery. This was celebrated to the max by Heather Bailey who introduced a line of embroidery patterns, some of which are quilt labels. Heather recreated one of her patterns stitched on a 6-foot by 10-foot wall. She was still stitching the wall during the show. Heather also won a best booth award for this creation. See a portion above.
2. New from Carolyn Friedlander is her Slow Sewing Studio line. This pattern group celebrates hand sewing and socializing. This is just another example with the trend that we are seeing of hand work.
3. Amy Barickman with Indygo Junction introduced Crossroads, a new line of softened denim. It’s 100% cotton, 54″ wide and available in white and 13 colors.
4. New from Pind Inc. is the Quilt Design System. This 72-inch “Butterfly” system was designed to be functional, space saving and aesthetically pleasing. It is easy to assemble and features options for up to four design walls. The system is also perfect for using as a stretcher frame on which to mount silk for painting, and it can accommodate a large canvas for painting.
5. Stkr.it is the perfect solution if you want to connect your digital memories to your quilts. You attach a sticker with a QR code to your quilt label. When someone scans the code, they are directed to a site online where you’ve uploaded a video or audio making your gift even more personal.

More next week.

Please share what you saw that was new on below in our Leave a Reply section.

Curves Without Piecing
Annette Ornelas
American Quilters Society; $12.95

American Quilter’s Society recently published a series of 24 books in its new Love to Quilt series. The books, 32 pages in length, feature excerpts and patterns from earlier books. Some of the titles include Marble Your Own Quilt Fabrics by Kathy Fawcett & Carol Shoaf; Circular Quilting Designs by Helen Squire; and Curves Without Piecing by Annette Ornelas. A complete list of books is at www.lovetoquiltcreations.com. A great way to try a technique at a lower price point.

Look for the book at your favorite quilt or book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

Listen to Your Quilt: Select the Perfect Quilting Every Time – 4 Simple Steps
by Barbara Persing
C&T Publishing; $17.95

I sometimes think the most dreaded words a quilter hears are, “Quilt as Desired.” What does that mean for someone who is a novice at quilting? Or even for someone who is just overwhelmed at the choices she can use? If this is a challenge for you or your students, Barbara Persing’s book will help. She looks at four steps to help you choose a quilting design: the category of the quilt, what its intended use is, what quilting will enhance the quilt and what thread color to use. Barbara showcases more than 20 different quilts and explains how she used her system. The quilts are shown in full size and in a detail. I wish the full size quilts were clearer, as the quilting doesn’t show to its full advantage. She also offers more than 20 different quilting designs that you can use. A good resource to get you started.

Look for the book at your favorite quilt or book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement

by Suzi Parron with Donna Sue Groves
Swallow Press; $29.95

The American Quilt Trail, large colorful quilt blocks painted and mounted on barns, is truly a grassroots public arts movement. In this book, Suzi Parron travels across 25 states and Canada to visit the barn artists and barn owners to learn more about the movement, which started with Donna Sue Groves’ project in 2001 to paint barns in Adams County, Ohio. From those humble beginnings designed to honor Groves’ mother and draw economic attention to one part of Ohio, the quilt trail now encompasses 45 states and more than 3,000 “quilts.” The stories are fascinating, and the quilts are just fun to see. I was fond of a Grandmother’s Fan that wrapped around the side of a barn in Ohio and the trompe l’oeil Lone Star quilt on a barn in Illinois. Recommended.

Look for the book at your favorite quilt or book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

Have you thought about a retrospective of your, your student’s or your customer’s work? It’s a great way to showcase the work. In the Fall issue of The Professional Quilter, Gloria Hansen shared what it took to create the retrospective of her work. Here are some highlights in an excerpt from her article:

Over the years that I’ve been creating quilts, I’ve kept photos, notes, sketches and various records of nearly everything I’ve made and been involved with. This summer I took the time to compile a good deal of it into a retrospective book of my work that I titled Gloria Hansen: An Evolution in Stitches, Paint & Pixels. It’s the type of project I wholeheartedly recommend that you consider doing for yourself as a way to not only document your work (your business, etc.), but to get perspective and appreciation for your personal journey.

1. First, determine what you want to include. I first created a loose outline and used a calendar to chart out what I hoped to finish by when.
2. Next, gather your images and write your story.
3. To create a professionally printed, high-quality book, I recommend using a print-on-demand (POD) service. I selected Blurb, which offers various tools for book creation. You’ll find links to a step-by-step video tutorial along with tips, tutorials and updates within a getting-started guide (all of which require you to be online), which I recommend looking at.
4. Of paramount importance to the success any type of portfolio book is the quality of the images. Besides starting with good photographs, you can take extra steps to ensure it will print the way you intend. If you have any trouble getting a printed image to closely match what you see on your monitor, you will need to calibrate your monitor.
5. Once your book is finished, and especially if you do the layout yourself, it’s extremely important to proof it. Don’t just rely on yourself. Have a couple of people read it for typos and look at the layout for anything that looks off.

To quote from the closing of my book, “…documenting my artwork gave me a deep appreciation for what I have experienced and accomplished, gratitude to those who helped me and motivation to carry on.” I invite you to my website (www.gloriahansen.com) to learn more about it, and I also again encourage you to consider writing and publishing your own story.

If you have experience creating a written retrospective, please leave your comments below.

In the Fall issue of The Professional Quilter, Eileen Doughty profiled Christine Adams, an artist who works in fabric from Rockville, Md. Here’s an excerpt:

Even though I was the oldest of nine, and my father was often away on active military duty, my mom did not burden me with responsibility. Each of us had our tasks. Mom encouraged us to be who we were and to follow our muse. There was time for play and imagination. My mother could create beauty and peace from very little. She was my first “muse.”

In 1972, I gave a baby quilt to a friend, who often brought her baby along to her booth at craft shows. The owner of a local craft shop spotted my quilt at the booth and said that she needed to have the contact information of the person who made “that” baby quilt. Until the shop closed its doors, I created wall hangings, bed quilts, Christmas décor and much more for the owner. I suppose that was the start of my being a professional textile artist.

Teaching and mentoring are also my passions. After college I taught art, math and English at the high-school level. I got married and had six children; following my mother’s example, I sewed for them all. Also, I shared space in an art studio during this time.

When Rockville Arts Place (RAP), in Rockville, Md., opened, I was one of its seven founding members. At one point, money for arts organizations was scarce and the executive director had left, so I began to volunteer and run the office. Many people were passionate about RAP – it was not a lonely job, and I had many offers of help. The Board voted me in as Executive Director for the next five years. During that time I learned about grant writing and working with the public. I also learned how to integrate our programs with the community, public schools and summer camps. I am proud that VisArts, as it is now called, will celebrate its 25th anniversary in October. I am still involved, though in a small way.

My experience directing RAP was put to use again last year, when I co-chaired the “Sacred Threads” quilt exhibition in its spectacular Washington, D.C., metro area premier.

I have sold completed work as well as site-specific work. A designer for medical institutions visited my studio and placed my work in several buildings, including the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, and the Ronald MacDonald House. She would give me a size, a price range, and sometimes a color palette, and we would work from there. Other professionals such as lawyers, dentists and nursing home administrators have purchased pieces. Having exposure in a studio outside my home was a great help.
My advice is to take advantage of opportunities that interest you, even if they come at inconvenient times. We are always busy, so just do it!

Share your ideas and interests with others. One step leads to another. Seek out other artists. Join a group, or form one of your own. Share your interests, successes and experiences, both good and bad.

I learned a long time ago to own up to the fact that I am an artist. It was hard at first, because when you say you are an artist, people expect you to be a good artist. However, if you are a clerk or secretary or some other professional, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are great at what you do, it just means that is how you spend your time. I spend my time as an artist. So, when I am asked what I do, I say I am an artist; sometimes someone is interested enough to then ask to see my work, and sales happen from there.

Originally, I primarily used P & B fabrics – I call the ones in my stash my “Fun Fabrics.” For the most part, though, I buy what speaks to me. My photo imagery is self-created, and much of my dyed fabrics are also. There are wonderful dye artists out there, and I have collected pieces from many of them to incorporate into my work. Another passion is collecting vintage lace and buttons and other findings. These also find their way into my textile books, sculpture, and hangings.

My themes vary. At times I use simple geometrics and try to express a feeling, emotion or impression. Other times, the theme is what I am familiar with – the simple pleasures of the world around us. I also am taken with cultural diversity and sharing with one’s fellow man. Some of my pieces attack injustice. Many of my quilts are folk art. I frequently use quotes and vintage images.

I have a huge collection of silk ties. Sometimes a wall quilt or garment is made entirely of them. When my youngest son got married, I created the coat I wore for his wedding from his grandfather’s ties. His friends made my day by telling me I was “awesome.”

If you would like to read more of Eileen’s article on Christine Adams, it’s included in our Fall 2012 issue of The Professional Quilter and available to IAPQ members. The International Association of Professional Quilters offers resources and networking opportunities for you to create a success from your quilting business. Learn about all the benefits of IAPQ membership and join here.

Please share your thoughts on being an artist below.