Book Review - Simple Graces

Hi everyone:


It's a snowy day in Calgary - just the type of day to spend indoors browsing through your quilt books and picking out your next project. If you need any suggestions, here's a book to try!


Simple Graces: Charming Quilts and Companion Projects by Kim Diehl is another book filled with wonderful projects. This is Kim's fifth book with Martingale and Company and as expected this is another book chock-ful of exciting pieced and appliqué designs. This particular book includes not only bed quilts, but also other patterns for companion projects, such as a pincushion, lampshade and table runner, just to name a few. A great way to coordinate your entire house!

Not only are there a variety of projects in the book, but you'll also find quiltmaking instructions as well as information about appliqué techniques, including using wool in your appliqués. Kim includes various "Pin Points" throughout the book (as she has in her previous four books) to provide you with additional tips to help you create the projects in the book - or any other project, for that matter. 


There is lots of interesting and informational reading in this book while you're drooling over the beautiful designs. 

One of the projects that I really like is "Bittersweet Briar". I love the motion in it and think that the circles in the flying geese border add a unique touch. Kim provides instructions for making this quilt in both cotton and wool: the light version in all cotton and the dark version in a mixture of both fabrics, using the cotton for the background and the wool for the appliqués. 

One of the larger projects in the book is Petal Pusher", with its cascades of Dresden flowers. I like how Kim has added vines and berries to give it a softer and more updated look, while still retaining its old-fashioned charm. 

She also updates the churn dash block in "Front Porch Posies". The addition of flowers, vines, berries and 
leaves gives a charming look to this 
traditional pattern.

The variety of projects in this book will appeal to quilters who would like to make a small project for a gift or to try a new technique. You can try your hand at wool appliqué by making one of the pincushions or perfect your piecing skills while constructing "Pie in the Sky". Whether you're looking for a table runner project or want to make a bed-size quilt, you'll find lots of choices in Simple Graces.

Pssst! Have you heard about the Accuquilt giveaway?

Hi everyone:


Okay, maybe you've heard about it, but maybe you've had your head down quilting and haven't yet heard that there is another opportunity to win an Accuquilt GO! cutter. Yes, I said an Accuquilt GO! cutter! Not only that, but you could win one of three dies as well. That's a chance to win 4 different Accuquilt products. And there are lots of ways to enter too. Are you excited yet? I sure am. Now you'll want to know all the details and how to enter.

SewCalGal is hosting the giveaway and you can visit her blog to see all the various ways you can enter to win one of these fabulous items. 
But maybe I shouldn't have told you about this opportunity. Maybe I should've kept this to myself so I would be the only entry and could win all the prizes. But I guess that wouldn't be very fair, would it? 
So hurry over to SewCalGal's website and enter before midnight PST on February 14 and maybe you'll get a nice Valentine's Day surprise.


Back to quilting!

Book Review - House Party

Hi everyone:

With all the snow that we've been having it's a great time for browsing through my library of quilting and embroidery books. Today I'd like to share "House Party: Coordinated Quilts and Pillows" by Sue Hunt. 


The publisher, Martingale & Company describes this book as follows:

"Discover six great pillow projects, each accompanied by a wall hanging. Designs range from traditional to contemporary and feature a variety of techniques."


I think this is a great idea as you can coordinate your decor by creating beautiful wall hangings as well as throw pillows. While I call these wall hangings, you can also use them as table toppers or thrown across the back of a couch, as Sue suggests in her introduction. 

The projects offer a way to decorate your home throughout the year as there is a seasonal quality to them. "Snowflakes" with it's paper pieced snowflakes would be perfect for the type of weather we're enjoying at this time of the year, while "Spring Baskets" or "Umbrellas" reminds one that warmer spring weather is just around the corner. "Summer Flowers" and "Hot!" would be great in bright summer colours and "Fall Walk in the Park" has a more muted and somber tone.


There are a variety of techniques in this book from appliqué to string piecing and paper piecing and the pillow projects would be a great introduction to a technique that you may not yet have tried. Sue provides detailed instructions for her designs and includes information on paper piecing and freezer paper appliqué. 


I was delighted to see information on making piping, rather than buying pre-made piping, as well as covering buttons, again without having to purchase button kits. These techniques could be used to embellish other projects, such as small accent pillows and pincushions too. Sue also provides information on making the pillow back, so you can remove the cover for washing.

I have several favourite designs in this book, but I think that my favourite is "Fall Walk in the Park". I like the somber background with the bright splashes of "leaves" and the oriental feel of the project. "Umbrellas" with its brighter palette also reminded me of Japanese quilt designs and I could see quilting this with some sashiko designs.


Lots of detailed instructions, a variety of projects and a chance to learn some new techniques - "House Party" has it all.