23 March 2023

These Books Never Go Back on the Shelf

Book inspiration
I love this 'inspiration book' prompt! After years and years of buying book after book and then watching them gather dust on the shelves, I'm much more conservative these days. Don't want to waste my money!

On my list
For the most part, project books aren't doing it for me these past several years. The 'Unconventional & Unexpected' by Roderick Kiracofe is much, much more the thing. If I'm feeling a bit dry and uninspired, then that's the book to get things sparking again! Currently I have a whole stack of fabric picked out for the largish courthouse log cabin quilt in the book. Was going to start it over the winter but then life got in the way.

Notice all the bookmarks?
So many good, quirky quilts to think about trying to interpret in a brand new way! Love the forgiveness factor especially. I've been eyeing this wheel quilt for years now too. It's so lovably imprecise that I just want to hug it.

Tried and true
Another one of my favorite books remain this 'Collector's Dictionary of Quilt Names and Patterns'. Something I bought at a quilt guild yard sale and never, ever regretted.

Always something else to think about
Don't think there are actually any directions for making the patterns in the book {or many}, but that doesn't bother me. Just looking through the pages usually inspires something! And the black and white is a bonus. Lots more room to imagine things in the colors that most appeal at the moment.

Antique inspo.
Another older book, 'Treasury of American Quilts' is one that I like to turn to when thinking about adding applique onto quilts. Such a rare, rare thing for me. ha ha! Wouldn't that folksy tree applique look spectacular up against some improv. piecing? *Swoon....  

Love 2 color quilts, but hate making them!
And while we're on the subject of applique add-ons, the Joseph D' Addetta book is hands down one of the few books I'd save in a fire. Seriously. So much fun to turn the pages and find page after page of different elements that could look amazing in many quilts. 

The Folk Art touch
In fact, I've used the pear shaped flowers on the front of this book for a quilt before! If you look in the gallery for 2019 quilts, I think you'll find it there.

Can you have too many birds on quilts?
While Pinterest generally has a lot of inspiration, there's nothing quite like opening up a book that hits all the right notes. 

P.S. I finished the #AHIQStringTulipsQAL quilt if you'd like to have a look. It's another one of those quilts that turned out just a bit different than what I expected at the start. Thanks for another great challenge! I definitely wouldn't have made this quilt without the initial prompt!

 

4 comments:

Quiltdivajulie said...

Oh my, these books look so different than the ones on my shelves. I am intrigued by the folk designs volume. I have the Brackman encyclopedia of quilt blocks and while it is far reaching and amazing, I sometimes find it intimidating (odd, right?).

Mystic Quilter said...

The only book among the collection you have shown us is the one from Roderick Kiracofe. The Quilt Names and Patterns looks very interesting, The Treasury of American Quilts looks familiar, perhaps I took it out one time from our Guild library, so, when are you making a start with the folksy tree on improv piecing????

audrey said...

Awww, you know me so well Maureen! I have a Folksy Tree quilt all drawn out--very rough stages of course and I need to clear the decks a bit before it gets started. Maybe late Summer or Fall?:)

Kaja said...

The Quilt Names and Patterns isn't one I know but looks really interesting. I quite like just looking at the pictures of old blocks, really gets my brain ticking over.