Favorite sewing books

I have a thing for books with pictures. Actually I have a thing for books. But lately, sewing and craft books have been really a passion for me. I love the inspiration, the photos, the ideas - often I don't even follow the patterns - it's more about seeing the items and making things based on my inspiration from them.

I probably have 30-40 sewing books alone. (The first of which was my Denyse Schmidt book!)
That is not mentioning the 50-60 crafting/sewing/quilting magazines I also hang onto.
Now here's the problem. I have all of them, but have I really made something from them? Inspired by, yes, but wouldn't it be good to actually use the books? (I think so)

I have been wanting to challenge myself lately to make at least 1 item from each book, magazine, etc - that I've bought. Just one. So that puts me out at um. well - if I gave myself a month for each project - well, I guess I would be busy for about um (I hate math)... wait a sec... a decade or two? oy.
Okay, not going to do that.

Instead, I'm going to just share with you some of my favorite books and resources. If I had time to sit down and not chase a little baby tornado around (today I caught him trying to throw Z's snowglobes from a stool) - I would review even the top 10.
I'll try.
But I don't really have much time.
So instead, I'm going to just point you to them and when I get the chance, I'll write reviews. And you'll have to trust me that if they weren't my favorites,  and really worth buying... well, I wouldn't share them. ok? (not that you asked)
One of the cool things about being in the LAMQG is that I've been able to meet a number of the authors of the books that I love as they are either fellow members or speakers who visit our meetings to give talks.
That said, I have to start with Denyse Schmidt's book.

I bought this book YEARS before I ever thought I'd really make a quilt. I would periodically look through it and drool.  I can't say I have actually made any projects from it - but I can say that I still consider buying this book a valuable part of my quilting journey.
A fellow member and acquaintance of mine, Jenny, is actually working her way -Julie and Julia style through the book... woot! What a great idea!
Here's her finished quilt.

I have the coolest friends - Tori writes another book

My friend, Tori, rocks.

But if you're a long time reader here, you know that. Tori and I met in college - we had our painting studios next to each other, and then when I was a textile designer vacating my Santa Monica position for the same job in Chicago, she was my replacement. So we sat next to each other, two engaged girls, planning our weddings and traveling together as little textile designers to exotic locales - like sweaty mills in Georgia, meetings in Seattle, conventions in Chicago and one fun trip to Vail.
The next few years, we were peers - working with each other over a long distance... both loving design, but rapidly growing more and more tired of corporate life and we both ended up leaving our jobs and starting our own design businesses within a year.
Tori started her stationery company which has really done some amazing things over the past 5 years.
In her journeys, she's also been able to meet some other incredibly amazing stationery artists and after realizing how the word about them needs to get out, she wrote her first book - Today's Top Stationery Designers. It's great! What a beautifully published book and a great resource for both inspiration and some fun places to shop.

Tori has followed up her first book with a second now. And it's equally as wonderful.
I really loved reading about the artists - their inspiration, how they got started and seeing the images about their design spaces - aren't we all wanting to peek into creative studios?

Don't I have good reason to be proud of this creative author?
I think so.  She's always been the one to keep me inspired and informed about design trends she sees... Now she can inform you too.

Neighborhood quilt is done!

It's done!
And there are far more than 12 women represented here. My bee gals made the amazing blocks, but it feels iike about 20 other people helped too. A friend gave me many of the fabrics, a neighbor gave me the binding fabric, my LAMQG gals helped contribute pieces for the final block at one weekend sew and at another sew I found many hands helping me baste as time ran out against the clock.

I stippled the entire thing on my small machine at home. I won't win any awards for how the stippling came out, but I am also not ashamed of being a newbie to the process of machine quilting a queen sized quilt on a tiny home machine.

I love this urban neighborhood.
My husband is begging that we switch the current quilt off our bed and he's promised to help make the bed if we put this one on it instead.

Here's one Alissa took of me presenting it at the guild last night too. It felt so fun to share it with the people that it really means something to. I feel so supported by my guild friends.

Charity: A great way to donate and also to win!

Check out Alissa's blog today. She's got the scoop on an amazing way to really contribute to the lives of women in the Congo who are learning to sew to support themselves. Last year, they raised $10,000 to help these women.

Contributions give you opportunities to win some really sought after collections of fabric.
Talk about a win-win-win.

Old Artwork - post 4

I'm not sure if this is a tree or coral, or what. But I loved using an old burlap coffee bag and sewing semi-precious stones onto it. I called  it the "Carnelian Tree" and it still makes me happy to look at this.

Stacked books baby quilt

Wow. Last week was insane. To try and cope with all the stress I had, I was a sewing fiend! After whipping up the boy and girl baby quilts for my friend's new babies - I still had the same fabrics out and the inspiration to try my hand at another pattern that I've wanted to use...

So - same fabrics - different pattern. Still easy, still fast - and another chance to practice my stippling - which isn't fabulous, but isn't the worst ever anymore.

The monkey fabric is sentimental, because it's G's crib sheet. The sheet had a rip in it and I decided to cut it up and use it for quilts as a way to represent my journey - the good and the bad. I did the same with one of AJ's receiving blankets and that little striped pattern has made it into about 3-4 other quilts. The same way I carry my grief as I move forward into joy, I want to remind myself that the grief is also able to be made into something of beauty. So no matter where our journey with G goes - these monkeys may keep showing up as a little reminder of our journey. 

This quilt is headed to another friend who is adopting after some huge heartbreaks. Oh, I love adoption.  It may continue to elude us, but it is so amazing when it does work out for other people.

 (Our kids have BEGGED us not to give up. Can you believe it? They are even more committed to fostering than I feel some days.)

Christmas in July (August)

This past month was my month to get blocks back for Bee Happy... I requested Christmas blocks. I've wanted, basically since I first started quilting, to make our family a Christmas quilt, ad I've collected fabrics forever for it, but never made one. So that's what a bee is great for, helping you tackle the projects that just seem too big.
Here are my blocks that I've made so far. My bee-mates are actually blowing my mind as they're sending in their blocks. Knowing July is a big travel month, I asked for only 1 block instead of the usual 2, but they all seem to be having so much fun with this that they have been sending me 3 and 4 blocks each. I can't wait to show you their work. For the time being, here's mine!

Raw edged baby quilts

My friend just had a baby and had an adoption go through a few weeks after giving birth and now she and her husband have had 2 babies in a month! Their family of 6 is one that is super special to our family and I couldn't let the opportunity pass without making them something for their new bundles. I will send them when the family gets back from the Dominican Republic, and when I figure out what to make for their 2 precious big kids too. These quilts are so so easy, I used a glue stick to place the squares and simply quilted them to a soft blankie background instead of making a quilt sandwich. (FAAAAaaaaST!)

Gee's Bend books

A friend of mine, Allison, recently saw this adorable children's book about the quilts of Gee's Bend and passed it along to me. I ordered it on Amazon and while I was at it, decided it was high time I got myself a book Gee's Bend anyway.
All I can say is wow. I spent last night reading the first chapter of this gorgeous coffee-table quality book. I kept reading parts of it aloud to Jay and he kept saying in his producer way - "someone needs to make a good movie about this!" I made him promise to read that first chapter himself.
I fell asleep with the book on my lap, and literally was dreaming about quilts.
Knowing my soft spot for African American history and culture along with my passion for fine art and quilting - of course this is a great fit for me - but I have to say, I'd recommend this book to anyone who is moved by art or the power of the creative human spirit. I was inspired powerfully and literally challenged in my paradigms of what freedom I allow myself to have as I create. As I'm going through my day today, I can't stop thinking about this enclave of master artists living and working together in abject poverty, albeit happy!... undiscovered for decades.
There are pages scattered throughout the book which have artistic photos of the scenery around Gee's Bend- I literally wanted to turn about 10 of those into quilts.
This book is amazing. I didn't even bother getting out my sewing last night - RARE! - because I just wanted to read more.
I have to say, it's the best $30 I've spent on a book in years. I can't wait to read more tonight.

Jumping for Joy

I don't have a specific reason to jump for joy right now, but these photos make me want to.

J took them of our teenaged niece and nephew out on Pismo Beach back in June on our family trip. Aren't they fantastic?