I am participating in a Book Review Blog Tour! This week I am reviewing Barbara Cline’s newest book, Simply Triangles. There is nothing “simple” in these beautiful quilt designs! They are eye candy for the machine piecing aficionado! Many of you are familiar with Barbara’s first book, Star Struck Quilts – a beautiful collection of Lone Star designs with an elegant twist.

My favorite new designs are shown below. Barbara’s clear instructions and unique shadowing technique will guarantee you will successfully create one of her beautiful masterpieces! In addition to eleven quilt design patterns, I enjoyed reading personal anecdotes featured throughout the book by Barbara and her family members.

  

Read Simply Triangles book in several ways:  follow Barbara’s introductory method instructions and understand her step-by-step techniques; read through the patterns themselves to see a variety of designs incorporating the techniques; read the personal stories and life lessons to glimpse Barbara’s personal life and wisdom.

Please leave a comment below, I will draw from the participating visitors today, and one lucky person will win a copy of Barbara’s new book. Follow Barbara at her blog, http://quiltingal.blogspot.com/ or on her website:  http://www.delightfulpiecing.com/.  This book is a great addition to your personal library! International winners will receive an e-book version rather than a printed copy.

Visit other bloggers in the tour to read additional reviews:

Happy Stitching!

I want to introduce Sue Rasmussen – a talented California-based art quilter, teacher and designer. If your guild is looking for a speaker, contact Sue!

–I am looking forward to this new series! Watch on your local PBS station this fall (2011):

http://www.whyquiltsmatter.org/welcome/  If your local station does not carry the program, please write or call and request they add it to their programming! You may also purchase the series on DVD for future viewing.

The Kentucky Quilt Project – Why Quilts Matter

You will enjoy this link! Artist Anastassia Elias has an interesting website, and a special art form! Please visit her site to see more! (click on photo to activate a slideshow link). 

Artwork by Anastassia Elias

Subject: Kathy Sandbach’s Quilts
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:00:56 -0700

Hello ladies, this is Ken Sandbach, Kathy’s son typing.  As most of you know by now my mom has been diagnosed with a nasty type of dementia, called Frontal Temporal Dementia.  If you were around her the last few years at all, you may have noticed some behavior changes–slight at first, and then progressing to downright bizarre.  It took the kids some time (unfortunately), but this last December we finally got the diagnosis, and began putting all the pieces together.  Her symptoms these days are too numerous for this email, but if you’re curious Google Frontal Temporal Dementia or go to www.mayoclinic.com and search there.

The reason for writing this morning is to let you know after a long conversation with my sister we have decided to begin selling my mom’s quilting legacy.  We are down to about 6 month’s money left for Kathy’s care, and have found that Social Security and Medicare just don’t cut it.  Assisted living care is running 7k/month, not including her insurance and mortgage payments (her Oregon house in on the market, but no one is buying these days).

As a test experiment we have put 3 of her quilts on eBay to test reception.  Their names and descriptions have come from her books, because we’re just not that smart!  If this eBay auction proves to be worthwhile, there are another such 100 quilts that will make their way to you her fans. 

While this is a tough time, and even tougher decision to make, neither Kristine or I have the room or energy to store these quilts in the way they deserve, so we’re hoping/praying that the people who love them most will be willing to adopt them.

Lastly, it has been at least 18 months since Kathy spent any regular time on her email, so many of these addresses are likely to be bad.  Please, PLEASE forward this letter to your address books/quilt lovers, and ask they do the same.  Kathy has traveled all over the United States and UK teaching, so I am hoping this letter will make its way around the entire quilting universe!

If you have any questions feel free to email me at ken.sandbach@beamglobal.com or my sister at kristine.sandbach@wachovia.com.  Also there is a guestbook at mom’s old website www.machinequiltlady.com.  Please go there and sign the guestbook.  It would mean a lot to grasp just how many people Kathy has touched through quilting.

Thank you for letting my invade you inbox this morning!

Sincerely, Ken Sandbach

In recognition of Paula Nadelstern’s fabulous solo exhibit at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, CBS interviewed Paula and aired a lovely piece Sunday morning, Aug. 16,2009.

Color Stripes blog

I am frequently hunting for fresh ideas, fascinated by color, and I stumbled across a great blog today – look at Color Stripes – an interior designer artist’s inspiration and color palettes. http://color-stripes.blogspot.com/

When we were children, we used to make a craft with yarn and sticks, known as a “God’s Eye”.

I was researching the craft this week and stumbled onto an amazing web site called “Ojos de Dios” featuring the beautiful original designs by artist Jay Mohler. Do visit his site and drop him a note! I have added Jay’s blog to the links list, on the left.

Ojo de Dios artist, Jay Mohler

Wildflower Dance mandala