A quick note: due to life happening, I won’t be near my computer and therefor won’t be able to do the drawing for Susan’s pattern and pattern-book until Thursday morning…. I’ll restrict the drawing to those who left comments before noon on Wednesday! Thanks for understanding and stay tuned!
What a FUN little book! This is definitely not for everyone, but if you love to sew, and wonder what all those weird gadgets do that came with the old sewing machine you inherited or found at a jumble, this is the book for you!
The book has mostly illustrations from what would be dubbed “vintage” sewing machines: from the 1960s and before, or more basic current models. This book does NOT teach you basic sewing, but it does show you various iterations of a wide array of funky feet and attachments including:
WOW…now, I like all this cool old-timey stuff. And the price of the book on Amazon can’t be beat–a whopping US dollars $ 11.55! Special issues of magazines cost more than that! Some of the reviews at Amazon weren’t happy that the book description didn’t explain clearly that the illustrations and attachments were just that…attachments and not the snap-on presser feet found on machines today. I do agree that a few extra words would have been useful! BUT, that said, a zipper foot works the same way now as it did when my beloved Singer 221 Featherweight was made in 1934! The vast majority of the information in this book can be applied to most current machines without having to stretch one’s brain very far at all. Ahem. Yes, I DO expect people to think <grin>!
Ditto for rufflers, binding attachments and many other goodies. There are instructions on how to use these things, but for the most part you will need to grab some scraps, follow the outlines provided, and figure out the adjustments for your own machine. It’s kinda like a car engine…they all work on more or less the same design, but the fan belts may not all be in the same place, made from the same materials or in the same size. You can’t expect one slim book to cover the myriad possibilities for each and every one, but it DOES give you a great start!
In sum: a fun book at a very modest price, and worth having if you love old sewing machines, or want to have a clue what those odd presser feet are in the drawer or tool kit that came with the machine. If you want a hold-you-hand guide to the exact presser feet that came with your every-bell-and-whistle-computerized (does everything but pick up pins off the floor) sewing machine, then you’d best move to a different sort of book. Personally, I think it is a gas of a book!
To say that things have been hectic is an understatement… I think I had several books ready to review in early September! So at long last here is the first:
Quilting in the Limelight: the Life, Art and Techniques of an Award-Winning Quilter by Philippa Naylor, published by Dragon Threads, 2008.
My favorite part of the book was the peek into Philippa’s life, both in Saudi Arabia and then the move back to the UK while they renovated a lovely old home. My second favorite part of the book is the photographs from which she draws inspiration, and which inspire me in their bold graphic layout, colors and careful cropping.
The book covers:
Let me just say that I will NEVER be likely to do the precision piecing that she does! I will, however, be tempted to wholecloth quilting….you can tell those of us who are so passionate about the quilting. Eventually, we all give in to the urge and just skip the pieceing and/or applique and just quilt quilt quilt a piece, a wholecloth piece!
I very much enjoyed the detailed in-progress photos of her free-motion quilting, plus all the photos of the backs, where you can sometiems better see just what she has done. The close-up photos are wonderful, too… just as good as being there in person to see JUST how she did that! In this example, how to bury a knot invisibly…well done (both the knot and the photos).
My only quibble with the colorful, inspiring book–which is a nearly-square format 11″ tall by 10″ wide–is that on the reverse side of the pages that have nine photos (laid out like a nine-patch block) is that the narrow grid of white between the photos shadows through to the other side of the page, and I find it very visually distracting. I wish the paper (which is a lovely glossy white and showcases the photos well) were heavier, to prevent the show-through.
I also like how Philippa spends so much time on the finishing details. As a garment-maker who learned under some wonderfully demanding teachers (and became even more picky myself about my own work), I really appreciate that she pays so much attention to the fine finishing, and shares how to do it well! (Yes, I know…I try to beat my type A tendencies into submission, but they are indeed there!) In sum: I enjoyed it, I recommend it, and I’ll be likely to refer to it again, both for the eye candy and the fine instruction on finishing details.
Isn’t that the most wonderful blog title???? I was thrilled when blogger Dawn Goldsmith reviewed my book, here, and even more so when she asked me to do a guest blogpost over at Subversive Stitchers. My post is here, and the main blog address is here. Visit both—she has all sorts of wonderful quilters and artists writing about all sorts of fascinating things! Thanks, Dawn, for inviting me over to your place! GRIN!
No…make that a double-double drawing! Several years ago, Susan Brubaker Knapp (website here) and I met online through the QuiltArt list and became internet friends. We FINALLY got to meet in Houston at Market this year.
Our quilty careers have been moving forward (a good direction) on parallel tracks, and we both were published this year for the first time! So we are having a doubly-fun giveaway:
Over on Susan’s Blue Moon River Blog, she is giving away a copy of my book ThreadWork Unraveled AND my Nourish the Body, Nourish the Soul pattern, and here I’ll be doing a drawing for her beautiful Applique Petal Party pattern booklet AND her Pinata Purse pattern! I’ll draw a winner at random from those who post by noon on Monday (oops) Wednesday, Dec. 16. Read on for more enticing details!
Here’s Susan’s full quilt:
Applique Petal Party is an interesting new hybrid: pattern plus booklet with detailed instructions. Inside there are nine fold-open full sized patterns for all 16 blocks and the border, all with clear lines and notes. There is also an 8-page booklet (8 1/2 x 11 inches) including:
Here are two detail photos:
I love that on the back cover there are four small quilts made from a single block in this pattern, but in totally different colorways. If you love the pattern but just aren’t a pink person, these will give you an idea of how versatile and beautiful this pattern is.
Susan’s publisher, C&T, is really leading the pack with innovative publishing and support options. Even on the pattern they invite teachers to use the pattern for classes, and offer support via the C&T website. Here’s a link to Susan’s pattern at www.ctpub.com ; click on the “google preview” for a tease of what’s inside.
Pinata Purse is a fun one to feature a favorite fabric— and you get lots of look. 
Just like a Mexican Pinata is covered in fringes of paper, this purse is covered in fringes of fabric. I could see doing a rainbow thing with the fringe, or a colorwash from light to dark…LOTS of fun possibilities. Plus it’s a great shape with a nice, useful pocket across the entire back.
Susan is a quilter and graphic designer who lives in North Carolina with her husband and children. You can purchase Applique Petal Party, or any of her wonderful patterns (be sure to check out the Round Red Barn!), at Susan’s website.
To be entered in the drawing to win Susan’s Applique Petal Party OR her Pinata Purse pattern, visit Susan’s website and blog. THEN Come back here and leave a comment here on my blog telling me something you like over at Susan’s! On December 16th, we’ll both do drawings: Over here, the first number (comment number) drawn will win Susan’s Applique Petal Party , the second her pinata purse pattern! Thanks for joining in the fun,
Cheers, Sarah
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