Quilter's Academy

I took the book, Quilter’s Academy Vol. 1 – the Freshman Year, along to my quilting group last week, and it spent the morning circulating the room. I do not think it spent more than moments sitting idle...and surely that is the sign of a very engaging text. I know that in the first few pages of avid reading, I learned new methods, and more importantly, learned the reason why we do things the way we do! It is all very good being taught how to do something, but the why factor is vital too. Harriet Hargraves is the author of several books, and her daughter Carrie has joined her -they combine as a polished writing team. Volume 1 addresses workspace, tools, equipment, and fabric. The quilts featured (there are 11 beginner’s projects to work through) use strips and squares so that you can perfect your basic skills. In each pattern the basics of drafting are introduced, along with cutting, sewing, pressing, size and layout details. The book is presented in 9 classes, with at least 4 lessons to follow within each. It is not surprising that this has been my bedtime read this week, and given that it is the first instalment of A Skill-Building Course in Quiltmaking, comprising 6 volumes, I can confidently state that I will be giving all of them a home on my bookshelf! Julia.