Homestyle Quilts: Simple Patterns and Savory Recipes

I discovered a very delightful book today!  Being a quilter, I enjoy examining every new quilting book that arrives on the library's shelves.  Homestyle Quilts:  Simple Patterns and Savory Recipes by Kim Diehl and Laurie Baker is a wonderful addition to the library's collection.  The book is unique in that it pairs quilting patterns with recipes---for example, the "Bygone Baskets" is paired with a "Sante Fe Soup" Recipe that one of the author's quilting friends served the quilting group for lunch.  Both the quilting and the recipes are easy to follow, with detailed pictures and descriptions of the patterns and the quilting process.  The book is great for beginners as well as advance quilters.  My favorite aspect is that the authors show updated views of older quilt patterns, using contemporary fabrics.  There is also a great "Quiltmaking Basics" chapter listed at the end of the book which showcases illustrated techniques. 

Spruce Up Your Home with Fabric!

While completing a reference question for a patron yesterday, I stumbled across a wonderful book in the "746.6" Dewey Decimal Classifcation!  For all of you non-librarians, this classification number is one of my favoirtes because it's where we file all of our wonderful craft books...and I will never have time to examine all of them!  The book that caught my eye was Susie Stokoe's Fabric Decorating Step-by-Step Project Book.  This book was published in the United Kingdom, and is a beautifully illustrated book.  The volume contains 95 ideas for printing, stenciling, painting and dyeing items that will look beautiful in your home.  This book is perfect for the homewowner who is looking to "re-do" his/her home with little money, by simply creating functional art items.  The book is divided into six "fabric decorating technique" chapters, plus a section on supplies and templates for many of the projects included in the book. The projects range from easy to difficult and each includes a detailed list of directions complete with photographs of each step.  One of my favorite projects is the fish-stencilled Shower Curtain on pg. 53! This is a great book for anyone who wants to try their hand a creating a unique fabric item for their home. 

What Can One Yard of Fabric Make?

I have found one of the cutest books for you or your favorite crafty person! The book is One-Yard Wonders by Rebecca Yaker and Patricia Hoskins, and includes 101 sewing projects from totes and aprons, to tea cozies, laptop covers and dog beds. The book is full of photos and easy-to-follow instructions and even includes patterns for some of the projects. The best thing is that each project can be made from one yard of fabric. If you are anything like me, you have tons of "just the right fabric" lying around your house, and the projects in this book are perfect ways to showcase those fabrics in your home or as a gift for you or a friend. The book is spiral bound so it's easy to turn the pages and lay them flat while you are creating the projects. There is a handy glossary in the back of the book as well as a nice introductory section detailing sewing techniques such as types of stitches and instructions on how to make your own bias tape. Author Rebecca Yaker owns Hazel and Melvin's Room, http://www.hazelandmelvin.com/, an online boutique for which she designs and creates custom baby bedding, accessories and apparel, and author Patricia Hoskins is the cofounder of Crafty Planet, http://www.craftyplanet.com/, a retail fabric and needlework store and craft workshop in Minneapolis, MN. Together, Robecca and Patricia organize the No Coast Craft-a-Rama, an independent craft fair held every year.