An Adventure in Quilt Books

Happy Sunday everyone... Thanks everyone for the lovely response to my tour of the sewing room! I'm glad you enjoyed it - and so today, again by popular request, I'm going to take you on another tour in my house - this time of my quilt book collection. 

I will preface this post by saying that I read - a LOT. I love to read and I always have. I will read anything and everything, from novels to autobiographies, from history to reference. The only thing I'm really not into is crime. Just doesn't do it for me. 

Here's my general reading section. These shelves (again built by the hubby) are in the library of our house. It has all the books that aren't quilting, including the art folios and cook books. 

It's the room you walk into through the front door, which is a little unusual, but then, we do have a bright blue front door and piles of quilts on every surface. This is where I like to sit with a cup of tea in the morning or on a lazy Sunday and read. We drink a lot of wine here too :) When the reno is finished there will be a gas fire in place of that piece of sculpture.

But that's not where we're stopping, I just wanted you to know that our house kind of revolves around books. They're everywhere, including stacked on everyone's bedside tables and on big shelves in the boys rooms. We all like to read, a lot.

And so I treasure my quilt books. I read them all, cover to cover (even the patterns sometimes, if they are an interesting layout or an unusual method). 

This is the top left hand shelf, which has some of my absolute favourite books. I thought I would run you through two or three at a time and if you're all interested in seeing more I will carry on through some other shelves over the coming weeks and months! I know I'm always interested in what other people are reading and what they find great resources.

I'm going to give you a link to Amazon for these books because I know that's kind of a central place to get them - however I will just say that I REALLY encourage you to shop at your local bookshop and reduce your book's carbon footprint if you can!

The American Quilt: A History of Cloth and Comfort by Roderick Kirakofe

I'm starting on this shelf mainly because loads of my favourite quilt books are the historical books, and not ones by modern designers, although there are exceptions to that rule of course! This book is an absolute cracker for historical detail - the author talks about the fabrics, their manufacture and the role they play in how the quilts are dated, the social aspects of the eras and areas in which the quilts were made, and of course the quilts themselves. There are beautiful flat shots of the quilts as well as detail shots and some fantastic old pics of the women who made them. When you own a lot of books on historical quilting you do start to see the same quilts cropping up all over the place, but this book has a wider selection and they are all interesting and well represented.

Colour by Jane Packer

Ok, so this isn't a quilt book, I know! But I do use it when I make quilts, in fact I use it often. It's a book of floral arrangements. I actually bought this book while shopping with Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably in Sydney - when Kaffe tells you to buy a book, I find it's best to listen. I have three now that he recommend I get and I haven't been sorry about any of them!

Colour is divided into sections by colours. The depth and texture in the photos always makes me think about shapes for applique and layers of shades. The unusual colour combinations Jane uses give me such inspiration and inevitably send me running for fabrics I hadn't considered pulling. The Amazon link has a flick through thingy on it - take the time to go and have a peek, you won't be disappointed.

Going West: Quilts and Community by Roderick Kiracofe and Sandi Fox

This book is actually a catalogue from an exhibition I saw at the Smithsonian Museum's Renwick Gallery in Washington in 2007. Damian and I drove from New York City through Pennsylvania and on to Washington on our "way" to Houston for Fall Market. We went to Lancaster and the quilt museum to by absolute horror was SHUT FOR RENOVATION despite their website saying it had reopened! Tears.... on to the Smithsonian where the information desk told me that there were no exhibitions of textiles on display and they didn't know what I was talking about. Dejected, we walked to the White House and on the way stumbled on this exhibition in an annex gallery. 

It completely blew me away. I spent a few hours just standing in front of the quilts and smiling, then we went to the White House, and then we came back because I couldn't bear to not see them again. This was an amazing exhibition and it's a wonderful book filled with beautiful and unusual quilts, including lots with embroidery and signatures and fantastical applique.

So there's your first three books, I hope you enjoyed the mini tour - let me know what you think, and if you're interested in knowing more!

In other news, only a few weeks to go now until Naked Beds finishes - how's your quilt coming along? To see what people have been up to, you can check out the Flickr group here. If you haven't started yet, get your skates on! 

Also, I've had a few a computer funk ups over the last few weeks - if you have emailed me a sighting pic of my book and I either haven't published it OR I haven't sent you a piece of fabric, would you mind emailing me your pic and your address again? OR if you have emailed me pics for Naked Beds that need posting to Flickr (I offered to do that for peeps that don't use Flickr), please send them again with my apologies. Sorry to do that to you, the computer has eaten the folders I had them all in.

Ok everyone, happy reading and happy Sunday, I'm off to bake ANZAC bikkies for lunchboxes and hang school shirts on the line, then sew on a binding. Glamour....

 

Comments

[Michelle B]

ThAmos for the book tour Sarah - LOVE it! Would really love a tour of the other shelves. I'm trying to grow my book collection and recommendations make all the difference.

[Michelle B]

ThAmos???? Sorry, I meant Thanks!!

[Lisa]

Fabulous - boks and qulting are my favourite things, and I love seeing what books other people have! Your collection is lovely.

[kathie]

nothing better then the older quilt books, I just blogged about one of my favorites today !
Kathie

[Helene Juul]

Thank you for showing both your sewing studio and your library ... I'm very envious as I have neiter. We have a very small house and 3 kids still at home, but the two oldest are 20 and almost 18 so I guess their days at home are numbered ... and THEN I will have a sewing room for the first time in my 20 years of sewing. Beeing both a quilter (and quilt shop owner) and a big time reader (both quilt books and other litterature)I could sure need some more space. Wish I had a hubby as skilled with his hands as you Sarah. Thanks for the tour.

[Cass]

My partner was just looking over my shoulder and he loves your bookshelves

[Mickey White]

Sarah ! I love your house ! Your library is awesome !! thanks .

[Donna Lohr]

Those are the kind of shelves my little husband is going to build for me in our front room! Can't have too many books, can you?

[Sally]

Love the tours, Sarah! Fabric and books are my two big collections. Have seen your books on Library Thing. To make space as I add new books (quilting and otherwise), my goal is to pass along the ones I don't appreciate as much anymore to others who will love them.

[Ellice]

Love the bookcase, I dream for wall to wall bookscases.!!! I am trying to expand my collection of booksand it's great to have some recommendations. I will definitely look out for the Colour book by Jane Packer. Thanks again for you most interesting blogs.

[Elisabete]

Thank you for showing both you books and sewing room.Please keep showing more of the books. We also have a big collection of all sort of books. Lots of gardening, cooking and of course quilting.

I live in England, but would love to go to Sydney. Hub has been as he travels a lot for work. He loves it.

[quiltmom]

Sarah, I also love books and have the first book on your list. I love to read about the stories of quilts and you reminded me to pull it off the shelf to read.
There are so many great books out there it is hard to choose which ones to buy.
I loved seeing your reading area and book shelves. It is truly beautiful.
Regards from Western Canada,
Anna

[Leone C]

Sarah thank you for the tour of your sewing room and your library. One day I will have a sewing room that might look a little like that. I will keep my eyes opened for some of the books you shared with us. I will put them on my wish list even my Christmas list. I will resend send my naked bed challenge photos.
Leone

[Pip]

Just love your library and the books, it's always good to see what other people are reading as a way to expand my reading (and buying list)

[JD]

I stumbled across your blog recently and it so interesting. I've always wanted a room with bookshelves...all I can say is I am so jealous....thanks for sharing.

[Megan Butel]

Forget the quilting books - anyone who loves John Irving as much as me gets two thumbs up!

[Colette]

Thanks so much for sharing your favorite books...and yes, PLEASE keep those book titles coming!

[mcregan]

I appreciate your love of books and have a question...I have many quilting and other books on handmade items and want to sell some of them. I have been buying them over many years and just want to keep my favorites, any ideas? Thank you; I enjoy reading your blog!

[Kelley]

Wow, what an awesome wall of books! I want one for my house, too. Lovely!

[Lotje]

Just a recent reader of your blog... And your posts are such nice reading! I love this book post! Giving something about what comes along when working on form and color.

[Heather]

The librarian in me gets an all-over warm, fuzzy feeling when I see all those books and books shelves in a home. How I would LOVE to browse!

[Lauren]

I so want your library! Being a fellow book lover you might like the following 2 sites. Booko is a brilliant site that lets you search the web for the cheapest place to buy the book you want & Book Depository that does free shipping worldwide. It safely delivered your new book to me a couple of weeks ago that I love :)

[Rachelelsany.wordpress.com]

I ADORE the idea of a bookshelf tour! I think I might love quilting books even more than actually quilting...

This is my first time at your blog (I don't know what took so long) but I'll definitely be back to see the rest of the collection.

[Hope Mitchner]

I loved the tour of your sewing room/office and your library. I would really enjoy your bookshelf tour. I just found your blog but will definitely become a "follower." And by the way, don't start Frontierville I've found it more addictive that Farmville lol (it can definitely cut into the reading/quilting time)

[Jette]

Hi Sarah.

Now I have your new book on my shelf here in Copenhagen/Denmark-bought via Amazon.uk.
I love it.

[Louise Hogan]

Sarah, thanks for the tour, I love historic quilt books too, so am very interested in what other people have. The Kiracofe is one of my favourites, it and the Quilt Engagement Calendar would be my desert island books. Take care
Louise