New Patchwork and Quilting Basics Book Tour
New Patchwork and Quilting basics is now officially published and starting to arrive with quilters so I think it’s about time we celebrate this with a BOOK TOUR!
I’m kicking things off today with another look inside the book, a new make, and news of a giveaway. Then I’ll be handing over to my quilty pals who’ll take over for the next two weeks! More on this below…
I’m attending to devote whole posts to the quilts in this book, one per section, so I can really talk about them in detail. This blog is where I share all my quilt stories and each of these quilts has one.
In the meantime here’s the lovely styled photos of the first quilt in the book and the last. The book aims to take you from simple strips to complex row quilts.
‘A tourist bus tour through quilt town’ is how I like to think of my book. You know those ‘hop on, hop off’ buses you ride to give you an overview of a new city? They are great way to find out where all the important bits are before heading back later to the ones that really interest you.
There is so much depth to our quilting world, it contains a whole lifetime of learning and experience, and one book can only hope to offer a taste of this. My hope is to enthuse the beginner with easy and achievable first projects and then move them along to sample more techniques as their confidence grows.
I want this book to last through the many years of a quilter’s journey, giving them something to return to when they are ready for more challenges. This also means the book has plenty to offer the already established quilter who likes a mix of different projects.
The book is also aimed at those quilters who are already fans of my style and have been imploring me to write a book for years now.
I took Pinball Wizard, above (quilted by the amazing Tatyana Duffie), with me to QuiltCon last week to display on the Morris Textiles stand. Regular readers will notice that it’s a mash-up of two of my earlier quilts ‘Conkers’ and ‘Modern Love’. This is probably one of my favourite quilts ever and Tatyana’s quilting makes it extra special.
I think my favourite small project in the book is the Spools Notebook Holder.
This is the intro to FPP project and I always knew those little spool blocks would be very versatile.
For my stop on the Book Tour I thought I would make something else using them, so I pieced just three, using lots of the new stash I brought home from Austin.
I surrounded them with dark fabric rather than light and used matchstick quilting and a variegated turquoise Aurifil 50wt thread to finish.
And then I turned it into this smart little Open Wide pouch! I always use this free tutorial by Noodlehead for this type of pouch.
Now, what to do with this…? I think I better GIVE IT AWAY!
To kick off the Book Tour in style I am hosting a giveaway over on Instagram. I’ll be giving away a copy of the book, one of my Modern Crewelwork Aurifil thread collection boxes AND this handmade spool pouch! Just head over to my IG feed to enter!
But maybe you’d just like to buy a copy of my book rather than try to win one? Well it’s now available at all the usual places, online and in book shops, or from my publisher C & T Publishing. Or if you are in the UK you can order a signed copy direct from me for £19.99 (incl. P & P) by clicking on my website here. You can also buy them from my shop in Edinburgh and if you are coming to the Scottish Quilting Show in Glasgow next Thursday you can buy a copy from the QGBI stand (ZM05) where I will be signing books at 11.30!
Now what about the rest of this book tour…
I have invited some of my favourite quilters and friends, from all over the world, to join in and either talk about or make something from the book. Join these talented makers over the upcoming weeks and get inspired by their projects. I just can’t wait to see what they come up with!
Monday 2nd Lynne Goldsworthy @lilysquilts
Tuesday 3rd Nicholas Ball @quiltsfromtheattic
Wed 4th Daisy Aschehoug @warmfolk
Thursday 5th Svetlana Sotak @sotakhandmade/ Blog
Friday 6th Jenni Smith @jennismithsews
Saturday 7th Heather Black @quiltachusetts / Blog
Sunday 8th Sarah Ashford @sarahashfordstudio
Monday 9th Jemima Flendt @tiedwitharibbon / Blog
Tuesday 10th Kerry Green @verykerryberry / Blog
Wed 11th Sarah Thomas @sariditty / Blog
Thursday 12th Krista Hennebury @poppyprint / Blog
Friday 13th Karen Lewis @karenlewistextiles / Blog
I am loving everything I see. Congratulations on the book.