Sew Home...

Welcome to my turn on Erin Bschlosser's book tour!

I first came across the idea of Erin's book when she approached me for using some of my screen printed fabric panels for one of the projects. I was delighted to see this project made the front cover!

Sew Home is a wonderful resource book for creating lovely handmade projects for your entire home, everything from window dressing to wall art and everything practical and decorative in between. 

As well as the book having 30+ projects, Erin has included some interesting and practical advice on choosing and using fabrics, as well as useful techniques.

Each of the 30+ projects are very well written, with easy to follow step instructions, with great accompanying illustrations. Erin has also shown what techniques will be learned/practiced for each project. It is clear Sew Home is a must have sewing book for sewing everything for the home.

When I am doing a book review I really like to make a project to get a feel for it. With my new fabric having just arrived I wanted to make something with it and so I chose the Knife Edge Throw Pillow to use as many of them as possible.

It is a great quick project to add an instant freshen up to your home. The instructions and accompanying diagrams are perfect and simple to follow. One of the techniques Erin is teaching with this project is inserting a concealed zipper. Unfortunately I didn't have one so did my usual envelope finish but I definitely want to try this.

Erin is very kindly offering a reader a copy of her book (digital copy outside US). All you need to do is leave a comment here telling me what item you would wish you could make for your home. Entry is open until Saturday. Good luck!

Go check out the rest of the book tour on these great blogs and perhaps enter their giveaways too!

Tuesday, September 20 - C&T Publishing & Joanna at Kustom Kwilts and Designs

Wednesday, September 21 - Sew 4 Home & Jen Carlton Bailly

Thursday, September 22 - Brenda at Just A Bit Frayed/Pink Castle Fabrics & Nicole at Modern Handcraft

Friday, September 23 - Janome Sewing Machines & Cristy at Purple Daisies Quilting

Monday, September 26 - Windham Fabrics & Rebecca at Bryan House Quilts

Tuesday, September 27 - Generation Q Magazine, Karen Lewis Textiles & Latifah Saafir Studios

Wednesday, September 28 - Dear Stella Fabrics & Mandy at Mandalei Quilts

Thursday, September 29 - Erin at Schlosser Designs

Oh and if you don't have any luck do go purchase a copy anyway here or here!

x

The Quilt Block Cookbook

Hello and welcome to my turn on The Quilt Block Cookbook by Amy Gibson blog hop!

I am a big fan of Amy's bold, bright, mix up style and knew I would love her new book, particularly as the title itself is so inviting. Cook books and quilt books are my favourite books so combining the 2 had my interest at hello.

Amy opens her book with a list of 'ingredients' - basic blocks that will become the basis to all her 'recipe' bigger blocks. These 25 block pieces become all the ingredients you will need to combine in different ways to make the larger blocks. Genius and simple!

Having taken us through all the 50 recipe blocks Amy then introduces us to her selection of quilts using them. Her sampler quilts show us fresh new ways to combine blocks in really interesting and appealing layouts. A sign of a good quilt book is flicking through and wanting to make everything you see. This is that book.

These 2 sampler quilts, above and below, are case in point. I am in love with both the use of block colour in the quilt above and piecing the blocks on point in the quilt below. So fresh and modern and eye catching.

Another aspect of the book that I absolutely love is the section at the end entitled Perfect Pairings. Again Amy has taken a simple idea of combining 2 blocks together to create really striking quilts. 

It is this idea that I wanted to have a quick try of. I chose Pumpkin Pie block and combined it with a simple plus block, threw them both in the Layout App and voila, instant gratification! 

I have so many of Amy's blocks on my making wishlist, along with her ideas of piecing sampler quilts. I know I will come back to this cook book time and time again and it will become a firm favourite, but thankfully without the usual crumbs and food ingredients that mar my usual cook books!

Thanks for stopping by and if you would like to read more about the book go visit this wonderful line up...

Monday, September 5	Angela Pingel	angelapingel.com
Tuesday, September 6	Aneela Hoey	http://comfortstitching.typepad.co.uk/comfortstitching/
Wednesday, September 7	Joanne Avery	http://www.mybearpaw.com/
Thursday, September 8	AnneMarie Chany	www.genxquilters.com
Friday, September 9	Amy Smart	www.diaryofaquilter.com
Monday, September 12	April Rosenthal	www.aprilrosenthal.com
Tuesday, September 13	Amy Friend	http://duringquiettime.com/
Wednesday, September 14	Lee Monroe	www.maychappell.com
Thursday, September 15	Faith Jones	www.freshlemonsquilts.com
Friday, September 16	Lee Heinrich	www.freshlypieced.com
Monday, September 19	Karen Lewis	karenlewistextiles.com
Tuesday, September 20	Nicole Daksiewicz	www.modernhandcraft.com
Wednesday, September 21	Kari Vojtechovsky	craft-happy.blogspot.com
Thursday, September 22	Amy Sinibaldi	nanaCompany.typepad.com
Friday, September 23	Allison Harris	www.cluckclucksew.com
Monday, September 26	Stephanie Palmer	www.latenightquilter.com
Tuesday, September 27	Erica Arndt	www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com