Book Review--When Bad Things Happen to Good Quilters

I like to quilt and sew and do hand work.  Here are a couple of my favorite projects.

Drunkards path in a symmetrical arrangement.  I won 3rd place in the county fair with this one!

Crazy Christmas trees.  I had fun with the buttons.

Hand-pieced and hand-quilted.  I don't have this kind of time any more.

So, when I saw the book When Bad Things Happen to Good Quilters: Survival Guide for Fixing and Finishing Any Quilting Project by Joan Ford, you understand why I picked it up.  I have never, repeat NEVER, had a project that didn't have a problem in either the supplies or the process.

And even veteran sewers know that unexpected things can throw a monkey wrench into the works.  My mother (who will remain safely anonymous--except for everyone who knows her) sewed her own thumb and broke the needle off inside it at one point.  I've bled on quilts, had the puppy relieve herself on it, the other dog chew up a pattern, my son as a toddler filled every crevice in my older-model sewing machine with straight pins.  Trust me, if it can happen to a sewer, it has to someone (and probably to me)!

I found this book to be very interesting and informative.  While I probably wouldn't sit down to read it cover-to-cover like a novel, it is a great reference to have around.  The neat thing is that it is a resource that can help every level of sewer.  Experienced sewers will appreciate the affirmation that things go wrong and even if they have encountered many of these mistakes before will find beneficial reminders of how to fix things.  Beginning and intermediate sewers will find this a treasure trove of information from how to fix the tension on the sewing machine to using acrylic rules with a rotary cutter.  There is also a lot of encouragement to finish what you've started, no matter how long ago you started it!

This is a wonderful combination between a tutorial and encyclopedia with various and sundry sewing tips to keep even adept sewers ready to pick up their scissors and needles with the confidence of knowing how to use their tools and fix snafus (so-called because my philosophy on sewing is "There are no mistakes, only alterations").