Whether you find yourself at the beach with a bottle of water, poolside with a cocktail, or sitting on the front porch with a glass of iced tea, when you are ready to read here are some books you may enjoy. 

Karen Eckmeir will teach you her trick of topstitching layers to create beautiful fabric landscapes in her book Accidental Landscapes.   Look around you … the inspiration for your next quilt might be right in front of you.  Imagine having a quilt to hold memories of your vacation.

Embellishment Potpourri explores many facets of embelling your quilts.  Fabrics that are folded, tied, stitched and gathered can create beautiful detailed accents.  Thread, yarn, buttons, beads, glitz… it’s all here.   This book is loaded with inspiration.  Watch your next project take on a new life.

The Quilt Maniac’s Playbook by Nicole Chambers includes detailed instructions for twelve quilts and six table runner.  Nicole also teaches you all about developing your eye for color.  You’ll learn easy to use color concepts that will aid you in choosing fabrics.  And we all know that color can make or break your quilts.  You’ll shop with color confidence.

Simple Quilts, another book by Nicole Chambers, includes instructions for twenty projects. These quilts make a big impact but are easy to make.  The sizes range from lap quilts to queen size.  Each quilt is shown in two color ways and Nicole discusses the different looks that are achieved by changing the fabric choices.   

We have over 150 Quilting Books available.  It will be hard to choose just one.  Take your time, enjoy the summer and your beverage, read slowly and think about the quilting you will do.  Think about the projects you want to try first, which fabrics will look best with which quilt, who you will be gifting with your finished pieces. 

Several new Purse and Bag Patterns have become available the last several weeks.  In case you missed them, here they are again all in one place….

 The Juliet Bag Pattern is so very cute in the black and white polka dots fabrics… love it!  It would be just as cute with a pink bow and a green bottom, or maybe navy and white.   By Me and My Sisters Designs, it measures 16″ x 25″.

Heidi Lynn’s Honey Tote pattern is designed to use Honey Bun 1.5″ strips.  Of course, you can use your scraps or favorite team colors.  This bag measures 12.5″ x 14″ and includes instructions for 6 pockets.

Joan Hawley designed the Margo Handbag.  Like all the Lazy Girl Design patterns, this one includes lots of pockets… 2 outside and 6 inside.  Learn a new technique for installing a zipper – the Dip-Down Zip-Top!  Joan’s instructions are always clear and easy, but if you don’t want to use a zipper there’s instructions for completing the bag without one.

The Carolina Carry All is a feminie, flirty purse that measures 15″ x 11″ x 7″ and is just the right size for the Porta Pockets or the Encore Purse Insert.  It has two secret hidden pockets inside.

More Bag and Purse Patterns (hundreds more!) can be found at QuiltersWarehouse. 

(psst… today is Facebook First Friday. If you aren’t a QuiltersWarehouse fan on Facebook you’re missing out!)

If you are looking for a quick baby quilt for a gift this summer, it’ll be even quicker if you take advantage of the Sew Ready Creations quilt kits.  Each kit has all the pieces cut for the body of the quilt, the borders (usually an inner border and an outer border), the binding and the backing.  Absolutely no cutting!!!  Just sew!  The instructions are very visual so they are nice and easy to follow.   PLUS, each kit comes with an “Oopsy Repair Kit” just in case you make a mistake.   How cool is that?!

Here’s a few of the kits…

The Alphabet Play Baby Quilt Kit measures 47″ x 58″ so it can be for a baby or a toddler.  Alphabet letter fabrics, animals and fun bubbles are featured in this quilt.   The colors are suitable for a boy or a girl.

Here’s one just for the girls…. Pink Pinwheels.  The fabrics include alphabets, circles, and little trees.  The blocks of the quilt are four square, square in a square, and pinwheels.  All die-cut pieces and only 136 of them. 

Only 68 squares make up this cute Little Doggies Baby Quilt.  Fabric is from Moda’s Oh My Dog fabric line…. very cute!  Measures 40″ x 40″ when finished.

90 pieces make this 48″ x 60″ Ladybugs II Baby Quilt.  Pink, green and yellow Robert Kaufman fabrics with lots of flowers, circles, and adorable lady bugs are featured.

There are several more kits available, so check them out.  Then start sewing!

Well, the calendar may not say summer yet, but we know it’s here.  And that means picnics…

This Wine Country Picnic wallhanging will certainly put you in the mood for a picnic.  The valley is pretty as a picture with horses grazing and a balloon in the sky.  The picnic basket is packed with goodies, including wine.  A border of pinwheels adds to the fun.  Made with fusible applique this quilt finishes at 43″ square.

It’s a quilt.  It’s a backpack.  It’s both!  The quilt measures 43″ x 60″ and folds into an attached backpack with room to carry a few extra items.  This would be perfect for a picnic, or to take to the beach.  The Backpack Quilts book includes six variations.  Make one for you and one for a gift.

With all the items in the Summer Picnic collection, you’ll feel like you are on a picnic without even leaving home.  Items included are: Sailboat Pillow, 3D Ladybug, “Grandmother’s Ice Cream” Stitchery, Watermelon Picture, Watermelon T-shirt, and “Cottage by the Sea” quilt.

Are you in a picnic mood yet?

Attending International Quilt Market is always a highlight of the season. Having the opportunity to speak with pattern designers, seeing what they have new, and the chance to renew friendships with those in the industry.

Again for the Spring 2010 Market, I have taken photographs of the pattern designers booths who we represent online. You can see these photos by selecting the tab “Quilt Market Photos” at the top of the page. Additionally, if you see something in the photo that you would like to shop for, just select the designers name under the photo to see their complete product catalog.

Enjoy quilts even if you aren’t in your sewing room.  What a relaxing way to spend a hot summer afternoon, or a cool summer evening. 

Measuring Up features two adorable kitties nestled in their basket amidst all the sewing notions.  Measuring 20″ x 27″ this puzzle by Anne Mortimer has 1,000 pieces.

A quilt made of Garden Path blocks is hanging on the line with a garden in the background.  Rows of harvest ready vegetables are watched over by a friendly scarecrow.   Rebecca Barker connects the scenery in her art with the quilt that is featured. 

The Quilt Barn is where I want to shop . . . fresh fruits and vegetables and quilts all in one old barn.  Quilts are displayed inside and out and they fill the pick up truck – GREAT use of a truck, don’t you think?!   A cardinal watches the activity as he is perched on a wood fence that’s covered in a beautiful flowering vine.  This puzzle is by Kay Lamb Shannon, measures 18″ x 24″ and has 500 pieces.

Doug Knuttson created this Perfect Setting of two love birds perched on their charming little house in the midst of a rose garden with a wedding ring quilt in the background.  Awwwww.  He DID promise her a rose garden.

This scene of a Country Autumn day by Nancy Wernersbach, with a pieced and appliqued quilt hanging on the clothesline, is filled with detail. A dog and a couple of kittens are lounging in the front yard, flowers are all around, pumpkins are ready, a basket of apples sits at the foot of the porch and a curtain blows in the breeze.   Don’t you just want to settle into the rocker or set on the steps a while?

Two boys play with The Family Wagon in the foreground, as mom and daughter hang quilts on the line along with the rest of the day’s laundry.  Tom Antonishak is the artist that created this 19″ x 30″ puzzle with 1,000 pieces.

Choose a puzzle, set up the card table, make a pitcher of lemonade, gather family and enjoy a few hours of conversation as you all work on a pretty puzzle.