Sunday Morning Quilts

Considering that she grew up in a family of six children, it comes as no surprise that Amanda Jean is frugal. It is in her blood, whether she likes it or not, and it's reflected in her quiltmaking. Using up every last bit of fabric has become one of the trademarks of her quilts. Given a choice between using scraps or stash, she would choose scraps nine times out of ten. Amanda Jean can be found on the web at crazymomquilts.blogspot.com, which showcases the many ways she is living up to her blog name. Amanda Jean, her husband, and their children live in Wisconsin. They love living in a place where the local parade offerings include not only candy but also cheese curds and chocolate milk.When Cheryl was a kid, her family bet her ten dollars that she couldn't keep silent for an entire family meal. It was the easiest money her family won. Cheryl never stops talking, let alone writing, designing, or cooking. This means she never stops creating. As a mother to three kids who have only two modes - awake and asleep - it also means she simply never stops. It might be her Ukrainian heritage and the work ethic that comes with it, or perhaps it is simply a matter of there always being something fun to do. In the midst of full-time motherhood, Cheryl finds time to write books, teach quilting, and maintain a small freelance writing career. Calgary, Alberta, is home for Cheryl, who lives with her wickedly handsome and sarcastic husband; two gregarious girls with enough wit, charm, and energy to feed a village; and one little boy who is happy to take in the day with eyes wide open. Her perfect day starts with tea and the family (wrestling match optional). Most likely it ends with a cocktail (gin in the summer and scotch in the winter) and conversation. And somewhere in there she will quilt.

Feb 12Sunday Morning Quilts shows you how to use every last scrap of treasured fabric in your collection. In sixteen new and delightful projects, the book champions the original ethos behind patchwork - make do and mend. However, the quilts in the book are decidedly modern in design, construction, fabric choice and colour. The quilts are mostly made from what would normally be seen as leftovers, i.e. any piece of fabric less than a 1/4 yard in size. Careful attention is paid to the need to sort your scraps before embarking on a scrappy quilt: in fact, preparation and quilting/binding basics take up almost half the book before the projects begin. The projects are then organized so that you can take advantage of your scraps from the largest pieces to the smallest. This is to encourage you to work through your oddments in a systematic manner and eventually end up with no scraps at all, and then you have the perfect excuse to buy lots more gorgeous fabric. The first project is a lovely idea to get your preparation started - quilted storage boxes in rainbow colours to organize all your scraps! The quilts are bold, bright and clean, and the co-authors actively encourage you to be creative and to come up with your own designs.