Classic Reads for the Quilter

Today's prompt is 5 Favorite Books.  I am in love with books.  They are my favorite resource in my sewing studio.  And choosing only five, would be like confessing which of my sons I love more--it can't be done. 

Since I have been quilting for a while I thought that I would share some older resources that I believe deserve a second look. These would be resources that I would recommend to a new quilter.

My first recommendation is anything by Eleanor Burns.  I learned a great deal about strip piecing and stitching in the ditch from her and her PBS Show.

Next this book, the Quilter's Complete Guide by Marianne Fons and Liz Porter was an all encompassing manual of different types of quilting techniques, both hand and machine. Their PBS show was also inspirational and educational.

Next as a great technique/project book is Quilts!, Quilt!!, Quilts!!!, by Diana McClun and Laura Nownes.  I took a sampler class in which this was the textbook. By creating one of each block, I gained  the skills and confidence to explore other quilting techniques.

For foundation paper piecing anything by Carol Doak.  She explained everything so clearly and helped me fall in love with the accuracy and the fun of creating quilts with this technique.

There is a tie for 5th, but they cover the same topic.  Machine quilting your quilts on a domestic sewing machine.  Harriet Hargrave and Diane Gaudynski opened the door for me to get my quilts done quickly and taught me techniques that I still use today.

While there are many others that have influenced my quilting, like Alex Anderson, Ricky Tims, Libby Lehman, Nancy Zieman, and many more.  I tried to narrow down my choices to the books that I still will refer to today.

What books are your "go to" resources in your quilting studio?  Many new quilters use google and YouTube.  But a book is there when the internet is out!

Off to dust my treasures of knowledge,

A Small, but Mighty, Sewing Studio

Today's prompt for the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge hosted by Cheryl Sleboda of Muppin.com is sewing space.

I have never used the words, small, but mighty to describe anything in my life except my current sewing space.  In 2012 my husband and I downsized our home.  It was a smart move since all of the boys had left home.  This also meant that I left behind a very large and much loved sewing studio.

So I have had to make some choices about what I want to focus on, and what I really love to work with to keep my creativity within its boundaries.  I remember Alex Anderson discussing her decision not to build a larger sewing studio.  She reasoned that a larger addition/studio would raise her taxes, so there was the financial aspect.  She also knew that her current space was working, but it probably just needed to be decluttered.  That helped me to focus on what I really love to work with in my studio and to let go of the other stuff.

In addition Cheryl Sleboda also hosts a Spring Clean Your Studio Blog Hop.  This has encouraged me to dig deeper into my space and find forgotten things to work with and remove unnecessary items.

I have discovered that I am in love with sewing machines of all kinds.  I just wish they didn't need so much space.  I am also a “tool gal”, having the right tool for the right job makes a world of difference.  But I have discovered that no matter what size you have to work in, you can still be creative and make wonderful things!

Now I need to clean up some creative clutter in my studio!