fabric arts for a handmade lifestyle

As one of the book designers here at C&T, I have the fortune of learning about quilting while I work. As I design the pages of our books, I absorb as much as I can from the authors to not only tap into their aesthetic for the page design, but to also learn as much as I can for my own quilting endeavors.

“My own quilting endeavors”…ha! Who am I kidding? I’m a working mom with two little girls, what kind of “quilting endeavors” do I think I’m going to have? By the time I’m finished with a book design, I’ve gone through the typical stages of intrigue, excitement, delusion, and then back to reality. I get so excited about the possibility of being able to make a beautiful quilt, and then a voice reminds me of my crazy schedule and that it will be impossible to find the time. So sad.

But as I wrapped up the book design for Simply Retro by Camille Roskelley something different happened, I felt inspired!

First off, Camille’s cheery and easy-to-love quilts made this book a joy to design. Her color sense and style are so sweet, which allowed me to tap into my girlie side and use little pin dots and scallops throughout the layout. Working with Camille’s effortless-looking photography was also a treat. The crisp, light and simple styling let the quilts do the work while giving the book pages a consistency that is sometimes difficult to achieve with 11 different projects. As I designed and read through Simply Retro, I found myself wondering, How does she do it? How does this working mother of 3 little boys actually MAKE all of these quilts? And then photograph them? And then write a book teaching people like me how to make them? But you know what? If Camille can do it, so can I.  Especially if I use her book! Camille makes it so easy for me to put together a charming little quilt of my own by using precuts and big, simple blocks. I’ve never used precuts before thinking that the quilt would end up looking uninteresting, but one look at the quilts in Simply Retro made me think otherwise. For me, the consistency that the precuts give the quilt is attractive, especially with Camille’s tidy quilt designs. I also appreciate the clear instructions and the cutting diagrams that she provides. If I’m not able to breeze through the instructions, then I’m less likely to attempt the project. Everything about this book is made to feel easy…the quilts, the fabric selection, the instructions, and the book design. This is the type of quilt book a working mom like myself needs: a simple approach to sweet yet sophisticated quilts. Thank you, Camille, for finding the time to write it!

Giveaway!

To win a copy of Simply Retro with Camille Roskelley – leave a comment on this post telling us if you like working with precuts! Winner will be randomly selected on May 23rd and the name will be added as an update to this post. International winners will receive the e-book version. Good Luck!