You know the feeling when you’re waiting for a package in the mail, or waiting for Christmas Day? That was me a few weeks ago. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. published With Fabric & Thread by Joanna Figueroa this Spring – and I was thrilled to receive a review copy. I’ve read this book twice since receiving it. How would I describe the book? Hmm… fabulous for every level whether you quilt or sew.
If the “by-project” pictorial table of contents isn’t enough eye candy for you, just thumb through the book and you’ll find plenty of reasons why you should pick it up. Ms. Figueroa opens with personal stories of discovery. I was so touched by her introduction; she reaches out to all of us. Her delivery is so personal that she made me feel like I was sitting across from her, having a cup of coffee with an old friend. More than that, her story resonated with parts of my own journey of reinvention and I have a feeling that other readers feel the same.
Figueroa includes two chapters on basics: quiltmaking and sewing. And for a beginner like me, it’s nice to learn about the differences – and not in a snooty way either. The chapters are nicely thought out. Besides the projects, my favorite section is her chapter on color. I love that she says, “…throw out everything you have ever learned about the color wheel.” It’s not about completely reinventing the wheel, but rather, not to let yourself be bound by rules or theories. Time to break out your fabric stash and rearrange or just come up with new color combinations!
About the projects, there are twenty-two (patterns included in the back of the book) to tantalize you. She breaks it up in three parts, sewing, dual projects (both sewn or quilted), and quilting projects. In a way, they are broken into a basic difficulty level, but it may have been helpful to have some sort of written or drawn difficulty level associated with the projects. Like any project, read through the instructions all the way… Figueroa’s instructions are complete with illustrations.
Can’t wait to start on these projects! With Fabric & Thread is sure to inspire you, too!
Joanna Figueroa is a fabric designer, pattern designer, active quilt instructor and owner of Fig Tree & Co. Her beautiful blog, Fresh Figs, offers more quilty and fabric fun.
