Now the bookselling market is all over the place. I've shopped publishers' warehouse sales, library book sales, Alibris, and other used book sites. I've gotten a lot of books from the guild giveaway table and at estate sales. The common factor is "never pay list price."
My favorite publisher is (was) That Patchwork Place / Martingale. I got a dozen or so books from their warehouse sale way back in 1994 and I still have them. The one I've used the most is Judy Hopkins' Around the Block, the first of her three block compilations. Those that I've perused the most are the Judy Hopkins/Nancy Martin collaborations.
BUT the purpose of this blog hop is not to reminisce but to choose ONE book and make something from one of the designs/patterns.
I settled on Shortcuts to the Top by Donna Lynn Thomas, published in 1994.
I don't have a photo of the first quilt I made from it--double four-patch. I used her instructions to make a Birds in the Air quilt for my father in 2000. (Somewhere I have a picture of Dad with the quilt but I can't find it right now.)
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| Twenty-five years ago! |
For this blog hop I chose Mosaic Sparkler.
I've been quilting so long that I usually suss out a pattern by eyeballing it -- then reading the instructions to see if there's something I should pay attention to.
In this case the instructions call for 3/8 yd. each of 12 teals, 8 FQs of violet, and 12 FQ of light prints. I cut from yardage and the FQ-and-chunks bins. The big technique in all That Patchwork Place books at that time was the "bias square" method of making triangles. I tried it then and disliked it. Fussy and wasteful. My preferred method is to cut large and trim down and I've got that down pat.
But I thought for old time's sake I'd give the bias squares a try.
Nope. Still not for me.
Back to cutting large and trimming down!
Once all the HSTs were made and the quarter blocks assembled the 24 blocks went together easily.
Linking up with Wednesday Wait Lossand BeaQuilter
Thanks for visiting during the blog hop!
Very pretty color palette, the blocks seem to shimmer. I love quilt books and I have a large bookcase full (I have Joy of Quilting, it was a great reference when I first started).
ReplyDeleteOhhhhhh...you have the greatest quilt book library, I've ever seen. What a blast to the past when you mentioned Judy Hopkins. I have made a couple of her quilts and love them. I have never seen the bias square technique for half square triangles, but I don't think that would be my preferred way to do them either. My heart belongs to scrappy quilts and your Mosaic Sparkler is absolutely gorgeous. Now I want to make triangles...this quilting thing is a sickness. LOL!!!!!
ReplyDeletewow that IS a collection for sure but entirely normal for a librarian i'd say...i didn't think of taking a photo of my one measly shelf...and that teal is sooo pretty...another winner nann!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great collection of books. I just knew that you would have a few good ones. Love the quilt - and the colors - very pretty. I like that you have tried many methods and found the best that works for you.
ReplyDeleteThis turned out so beautiful! It has such wonderful movement!
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot of books! Good job on your project!!
ReplyDeleteI never cared for that triangle method either. Patchwork Place/Martingale was always my favorite publisher too.
ReplyDeleteThat is so pretty, Nann - I love the teal and violet combination! I've never made HSTs with bias squares, so I'm intrigued by the idea. But if you nixed it and went back to (also my preferred method) cutting larger and trimming, then I'm with you!
ReplyDeleteThe minute you mention 'bias' I already know it would be a disaster in my hands. Much better to work the way you do and end up with such a pretty result. I really like those colours.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful quilt, thanks so much for sharing!
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