OK so it's officially winter but does it have to be soooo cold. Compared to yesterday, glorious warm winter sunshine, today is a bit of a shock. I thought maybe I was just feeling cold without the sunshine but a quick glance at the temperature confirms what I felt - it's only 10C. I'm sure some of you will be laughing at my grumbles about what is probably a warm day for you but believe me this is cold!
With the cold comes the perfect excuse to stay indoors and browse the two new books I got this week.
I cannot help but admire early settlers. There is no way I could or would undertake such an arduous journey. Just the packing alone, essentials first and if there was space, treasured possessions. Saying good bye to loved ones knowing you'd only ever communicate by letter. Then enduring the hardships along the way. It makes me very grateful for my lot! Some lovely stories and gorgeous pictures, and best of all some doll quilts.
I have a number of books about quilt blocks and antique quilts but none about quilting designs. The quilting design is just, if not more, important than fabric choice. I have all my large quilts professionally machine quilted, eliminating the need for me to make any real decision about the quilting (yes I know shame on me). But you can only put off things off for so long and my little quilts need to be hand quilted. I've been keen to find a book to point me in the right direction. This book by Jenny Carr Kinney has designs for applique, redwork, pieced blocks, sashings and borders, etc. Now I have many choices for my next little quilt. I just hope it doesn't take me as long to decide as it does to pick fabric!