good reads

 does it seem like i’m not getting much quilting done? maybe. i've definitely been quilting in spurts. and since i figured out about threading up the machines with the different colors of thread. i am once again jumping back and forth between projects. however, my quilting isn’t exactly accurately reflected in my blogging. i’ve broken up different parts of what’s been happening into smaller posts rather than having the posts too lengthy. i mean, i still talk a lot about the details, but i have been trying to make the posts themselves shorter. so i’m doing that and i’m also doing several posts at once and having them scheduled to post a few days apart. i think this makes it easier to read and it keeps my posting consistent without me having to tend to it all the time. so you could say i’ve been batching my posts themselves same way i batch my quilts. 

the other thing i've been doing - studying up on scrap quilts. i own dozens of quilt books (bibliophile + quilting fabriholic). i've actually been sorting and culling those as part of my sewing room overhaul project. i stopped buying (for the most part) a few years back because i already had so many. but recently, as part of my scrap studies, i've purchased a few older quilt books about scrap quilts. 

karen, of just get it done quilts, said as part of her scrap-busting process she has a few go-to scrap quilt patterns that she regularly uses and cuts scraps for. i thought that was a pretty smart idea and i'm on the hunt for scrap quilt patterns i like. that spurred me to look for some scrap quilt books. these are almost all used and only cost me a few dollars. i can donate any i don't find appealing or useful.

i've gotten to the point in quilting where i can look for inspiration in patterns that aren't already worked up in fabrics i like. i used to only buy books that i already liked the whole look of the quilts in it. but i can look past that now and focus on the patterns instead. so most of these books don't initially look like anything i would make, but i'm finding a lot of interesting ideas, tips, and patterns in them. i think i'll do a little report on each one (or at least the useful ones) as i go along.

so far, "quilter's scrap pantry" (which was not used but not expensive) has been my favorite. it's a tiny little gem of a book that's going to be so useful. but it's been a moment since i first read it, so i will revisit it and make a full report on precisely why i though it was good. 

not a scrap quilt book, but a real treasure - barbara brackman's encyclopedia of quilt patterns. i have an older edition as well as the newer 3rd edition, which is even better than the others and worth the investment. of course you could make these blocks with scraps and if i search, i'm bound to find blocks that would be good candidates for scrap quilts.

there is so much inspiration here! and i've been really surprised and intrigued with the names of many blocks. i've been loosley following #folksamplersewalong hosted by sara buscaglia of farm and folk. she's been compiling her own online encyclopedia of classic quilt blocks. her block picks for the sampler are coming from barbara brackman's book. it's a classic, for sure. if you're the type that enjoys coming up with your own quilt patterns, you'll find lots of ideas in this book. or if you just enjoy a bit of quilt history, that's here, too.

what older or off-beat quilt books do you have in your library or enjoy despite their dubious or less-than-flashy appearance?