Mother's Day Sewing Gifts + New Quilt Books

I've received a bunch of new release quilting books for 2016 over the past few weeks and wanted to share some of them. I figured with Mother's Day coming soon, they might be some good recommendations. (Here are some more ideas for Gifts for Quilters if you're looking.)

This book, Lovely Little Patchwork by Kerri Horsley  is absolutely adorable and true to Kerri's vintage style.

It is full of 18 cute, seasonal patchwork projects in a variety of options such as bags, dolls, hot pads, stitching, table runners, mini quilts - as well as great information with helpful illustrations on a variety of sewing, piecing and quilting techniques. It is well worth the price!

Also, I have a copy to giveaway on my Instagram feed right now!

Another inspiring new release is Amy Friend's book Intentional Piecing. This is a book of unique quilting projects that are very detail focused. There is an emphasis and great examples of using fabric - especially fussy cutting to show off adorable prints.

On the right is the Tell Me A Story quilt - a fun twist on an "Eye-Spy" quilt, allowing fun novelty fabrics to really shine. There are also some bunch of patterns for intricate paper-pieced pictoral blocks - Amy's creativity just blows my mind. I also love the simplicity of the Ramp It Up quilt (bottom right). I'd really love to give that one a try.

I think my favorite quilt in the book is this fantastic teepee quilt called My Tribe. This is another paper-pieced pattern and I'm just smitten with it. It's great for fussy-cutting fun fabrics. Amy has some great tips and advice on both fussy-cutting and on paper-piecing throughout the book. This one is definitely going on my bucket list.

If you're looking to push your boundaries even further and try new things in the quilting genre, check out Krista Flekenstein's new book Beyond Cotton.  In this book Krista really helps to expand your arsenal and try new things.

Krista teaches you how to make your own custom fabric to work with by stamping, dyeing, printing and painting.

She also has projects and teaches how to work with leather and wool, carving your own blocks for stamping, how to make your own dye, and creating quilt designs with bias tape. All of it is well-explained with gorgeous photography to provide visuals. If you've wanted to try new methods of expanding your design and personalization skills, I highly recommend this book!

Another book with a new style for quilting was sent to me by author Margo Yang. In her book Soft and Cozy Keepsakes, she teaches a faux rag quilt technique with 16 of her own designs. Her method reminds me of those vintage chenille blankets, creating a lot of texture in her quilts. Margo is having a big giveaway to celebrate her book release from now through April 30.

So there are a few fun new books out for the first third of 2016. I'm also going to throw Log Cabin Quilts  and Scraps Inc Volume 2 into that list of recommendations.

One other fun idea for a great gift would be a subscription box. Each month would bring a new surprise in the mail. Inside each box with be a combination of fabric, notions, patterns, and thread, plus exclusive perks like Fat Quarter Shop discounts and goodies.

You can read more about the Fat Quarter Shop Sew Sampler month box here.

I just received my April box last weekend. It was so fun to open it up and see what was inside - cute patterns, a Moda charm pack, fancy scissors and the coolest little magnetic screwdrivers. I used them to open up my machine and give it a good spring cleaning!

If you're looking for looking for more fun gift ideas for your favorite quilter for Mother's Day, or just for the heck of it, I've updated my Gifts for Quilter's post with a few other fun ideas - both things you can buy as well as a list of handmade gifts!