{INTER} National Book Lover's day!

Hello QUILT book lovers!

Glad you dropped in to help me celebrate....

  

Back when I began my first quilt, I had not the first clue what I was doing.

I mean... I had a plan.  I had designed a quilt.  But I did not know how to make a quilt.

Thankfully, I lucked out and found two books from the second hand store.

• One was Mastering Machine Applique by Harriet Hargrave.
• The other was Quilter's Complete Guide by Marianne Fons & Liz Porter.

Harriet first took me by the hand and led me into the incredible world of applique and all of it's wonderful techniques.  She started with the simplest things - equipment basics - stitches, presser feet, needles, your workspace.  Harriet then showed me about all the supplies available to quilters today!

Threads, fabrics, fusibles, and stablizers!

She showed me how to make templates.  What type of stitching to chose.  And the different methods of applique available. Harriet became a very good friend of mine.  It was quite apparent that she was indeed a Master.

Then I met up with Marianne and Liz.

And I needed help with backing, batting and binding. Oh my!

When they chose the name "Complete Guide", they chose rightly. They cover EVERYTHING from the basics - tools and skills, fabrics and colour, drafting - to beyond the basics with patchwork, applique, and borders.  They don't stop there, but also cover techniques, evaluating and exhibiting your work, and quilt care.  A handy glossary of quilting terms is also included!

I must have turned to page 97 for every quilt I made in my first year of quilting.  It always helped to see that picture of finishing your binding with a diagonal seam!

When next I visited the local library, I happened upon a quilting book that opened my eyes to the possibilities of expanding quilt making into whatever I wanted!

I had stumbled upon Julie Herman's Skip The Borders.  And through her display of beautiful quilts and helpful tips included in that book, I realized that when designing quilts it was a good thing to sometimes skip the borders...  AND the boundaries!

Let me tell you a little secret..... There ARE NO QUILT Police!

There are no rules to quilt making.  It is a craft that allows you to make whatever you can dream up!  Don't fear unmatched seams or unpointy points!  Curves can be mastered!  Don't fear failure.  You can never succeed if you never try!  Machine sewn bindings are a thing of beauty!

What is modern?  Who cares!

Dream, do, create!  That is what quilting is.  It is an art that people can relate to.  It holds and enfolds you.  Caresses and comforts.  A quilt lends itself to emotion and memories.  Each quilt you give shows your LOVE in a tangible form of fabric and threads.

Since getting to know Harriet, Marianne, Liz and Julie... I have met countless others who have taught me, guided me, inspired me, and become a treasured friend to me.  Perhaps you are one of them!

 

I invite you to visit the Moda blog to meet others who would like to share their stories with you!

Keep on, Read on and Quilt on!