Must Have Book!

As a quilter with more books in my personal library than my local quilt store (really, I have counted), it takes a very special book to get my attention.  Elizabeth Hartman’s “ModernPatchwork” has done that and more.  This book has all of the prerequisites to gain a spot on my shelf:  First, the quilts are artistic and photographed very well – this could be a coffee table book, valued for its artistic self.  (Photos by Christina Carty-Francis and Diane Pederson.)  Elizabeth (check out her blog) has captured the modern quilting look, and yet, as she states, her patterns are of a more challenging nature than other modern quilt patterns I have seen.  Second, the quilts are calling me to make them – each and every one of them.  Ordinarily, if there are 2 or 3 quilts per book that I would consider making, the book is a winner.  With this book, I want to make all of them.  Based on the names alone, who wouldn’t want to make “Roller Rink,” “Looptastic,” or “Fire Drill,” just to name 3 of the 12 quilts in this book.  Third, there is a unique aspect to the book.  Elizabeth not only shows different color options for making the quilt, and discusses her thought process for selecting fabrics, she also offers an assist on what to do with the backing.  Backings are rarely addressed in quilting books, and Elizabeth has done a fantastic job of creating beautiful yet simple backings to complement the quilt tops.  Finally, the directions are simple to read, simple to follow, and in full color with a lot of illustrations, and the back of the book contains tips on fabric, color, cutting, piecing and quilting from which beginners and advanced quilters alike will benefit.  Although I have granted a spot on my shelf for this book, I don’t intend for it to sit on that shelf – I expect it will be sitting right beside me on my worktable.

I am starting to work on "Glam Garlands" now that I have some goody goody scraps left over from my last project, a quilt for our bed!  what? crazy talk!!  That one will be seen on this very blog once it is quilted.  Stay tuned. .. . 

I also am going to talk to my LQS and see about teaching a project or two from this book.  LOVE THESE QUILTS!!

p.s. AFTER I posted this, I went over to see what Monica was up to.  Yes, Monica at The Happy Zombie always has the best blog posts!  (And the best patterns, best stories, best fabrics.)  You must go see her adorable quilt and the post that goes with it.  She started with alphabet letter pattern by Elizabeth Hartman (yes, the very same whose book I just reviewed - small world, huh?) and then spelled out "Treat Yo Self" from an episode of Parks and Recreation which I had to then place over here as a clip so I can watch it a lot.  I love Aziz Ansari.  I love his rant about thread counts and Cold Stone.  hilarious.  I think we all need a "treat yo self" day and mini quilt.