Books!

Submitted by Dianne McD.

What does your “quilting” library look like?  I was looking at mine the other day and wondering if I needed to organize and purge.  My library falls into two categories:  1.  block and/or quilt patterns, and 2. technical instruction books.  Most of the technical books are for hand-dyeing fabric, but there are a few that teach design as well.  The majority of the books in my library are the pattern books.

Surprisingly though, with the exception of my very first quilt that I made using Eleanor Burns’ “Quilt in a Day” log-cabin book, I don’t think I’ve made a single quilt using the patterns in any of those books.  I’m pretty sure I intended to.  As I browsed through them, I was reminded of why I purchased the books in the first place.  There are lots and lots of beautiful quilts displayed in them!  What’s the saying about good intentions?

Today, I thought I’d share with you the books I use the most.  Remember, you can click on any image to get a closer view.

This “Quilter’s Reference Tool” has been a lifesaver for me more than once.  It’s been so helpful to have a place to go when I need to know how big to cut squares for half-square or quarter-square triangles.  I’ve learned how to measure and cut for setting triangles when I want to set my blocks on point; and there’s a page of Magic Cutting Numbers for piecing with isosceles triangles, equilateral triangles, and diamonds.  Who doesn’t love some magic?  There is a lot more information available in this reference tool.  I personally think no quilter should be without one.

This book by Ann Johnston goes with me each time I head to the garage to work in my dyeing “studio”.  It was given to me by my friend, Becky B, and I’ll be forever grateful to her for doing so.  While I have many books about fabric dyeing, this one is great for when I just need to reference things quickly while I’m in the thick of things out there.

Both of these books have come in handy when I have needed to put together a 6-inch block.  Some of my projects have been built around a block that size, and these books have been fun to page through to find just the right one.  Tula Pink’s book is modern and Laurie Aaron Hird’s is traditional, so I have the best of both worlds.

And finally, this book by Shannon Brinkley got delivered about ten days ago.  Yes, I’m still buying books!  I’ve already read it cover-to-cover, and I’m itching to try it out.  Just waiting for my Mistyfuse to be delivered.

Do you have a favorite quilting book?  Tell us about it in the comments below.  Think of your comment as a public service announcement, because we all love to learn about something that might be new to us!