Recommended Reading II

This fabulous book is finally available here in the States,

Making Quilts by Kathy Doughty of Material Obsession.

The projects in this book are really fun, with a wide range from basic piecing to very complicated curves, points and even appliqué.

I have been thinking a lot lately about my style of quilting…

The subtitle of the book is “21 Authentic Projects”

I wonder what Ms. Doughty was thinking when she used the word “authentic”. what does it mean to you?
As I read the book and looked at the pictures, “authentic” came to mean being true to yourself and creating what you love. Most of the projects are made with fabrics I would never choose, but I love how they look in her quilts. Isn’t it funny how that is?
It is very obvious that the writer and creator of the projects wasn’t trying to please an audience or fit into a type, like Modern or Traditional. She was making what she loved, and the projects are perfect.

These two are my favorites….not the way that they are (although they are great), but because I feel inspired to re-create them with my own ideas, colors, fabrics. The patterns look super fun to piece!

I think being authentic is being yourself. Own it. It is okay to make a tradition quilt one day and a modern one the next just because you like the patterns in their own right.

I appreciate all kinds of sewing because I recognize the talent it takes to make a quilt, bag, dress, etc. I am inspired by a pattern and then make it my own way.

In the bio at the end of this book, Kathy is described as “embracing contemporary trends in quilting while sitting firmly on the traditional construction methods and patterns”

That’s it! that’s my style. Authentic.

Sharon