A New Quilting Attitude -- Books for Quilters Who Want To Make A Noise

Quilting is fun and challenging for me and I spent several years working on different quilts. All have been gifted to those who fell in love with them, except my second quilt which had more mistakes than perfection. After I completed it, I made shams, pillows, swags and jabots all to coordinate and redecorated the master bedroom of my then-home. It was beautiful, even with the imperfections. Most who visited admired the entire room, never honing in on any of the quilting non-perfection I seemed to see every day.

One day about a year after all was completed, my then-husband's dog was left home with me instead of going on the road with his "dad". It ticked him off. I came home from work two days later to one square in my quilt, smack dab in the middle, bitten into shreds with the batting in pieces spread over the rest of the bed. Amazing how a 6" square of batting can be shredded and expand to seem like a bushel full!

I was horrified and more than a little angry!! I remember picking it all up yelling at nobody -- the dog sure wasn't listening. He turned tail and disappeared into the back yard...

Then I gathered myself together and reconstructed that square by hand. As I was doing this, I realized for the first time that I was making a piece of history and memory for myself. That was 15 or so years ago and when I divorced, I brought my quilt and all the accessories with me. They are still in my bedroom decorating the space I call my own. Today, when I need to clean or refold this quilt and see the center square, the memory of that time and of the incident brings a smile and warmth to my being. Time does indeed change things for the better if we allow it.

Today's book reviews are for quilters who are ready to try something different. I've been designing quilt block and quilt patterns of late but think it is about time to begin making another quilt. I want something new and challenging -- something with attitude to reflect the me that has evolved over the last 5 years of singlehood.

Crazy Quilting with an Attitude by Barbara Randle has wonderful writing, great photos and some really beautiful projects, many with a Victorian but modern feel. Take a look inside her book here.

Crazy Quilts: History-Techniques-Embroidery by Cindy Brick/Nancy Kirk is a fun visit to the history, how to and various embellishments to this genre of quiltmaking. There are some wonderful stories and photos of crazy quilts of yesteryear which can motivate one's creative juices. Take a look inside and you may find a book you want to add to your reference library.

Finally, if you enjoy the first Barbara Randle book on crazy quilting, this one may be an add too. Barbara Randle's More Crazy Quilting with Attitude contains 14 new projects, each with an attitude of its own! There isn't a look inside feature at Amazon but the cover photo is enough to make me curious to see more!

Have a great Monday! I plan to :). See you tomorrow!





P.S. If you're running out of time for Mother's Day gifts, Amazon offers a gift card/certificate that can be emailed: