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Sunday 15 August 2010

Gorgeous new books

i have been meaning to write about this lovely new book that I received for my birthday, the new alabama chanin book



i loved her first book and have used the handsewing techniques she describes on many of the things i make.  sadly i still haven't made a skirt from it (time?)  but i am about to begin a camisole top from the new book.
there are quite a few more recipes in this book but there are also lots of things to sew and the ones that grab me the most are the place mats and doilies



i think these are just beautiful and am searching for old grey and white tshirts, but too many tshirts have things printed on them these days!



i also love these mats, the stencil for these is included in the book (precut)  there is another stencil used throughout which is much more complicated and needs enlarging called angie's fall, a flower and leaf stencil.  i have to say i would rather have had the second stencil ready made, i don't like having to enlarge from books and am nervous of my cutting out skills!  but i can see that this might have presented practical problems.



the thing that has excited me the most, though, is this method of applique.  the appliqued piece is cut larger than the shape it's going to be sewn on to and then scrunched, i love the effect and am going to try to give it a go this week (i will blog about the difficulty/ease, success/lack of success!).  all in all this is a beautiful book, as a lover of handsewing over machine, i find her writing inspiring and the gorgeous stitches can be used on non jersey sewing.  this book has left me desperate to make 'put-up tomatoes' so i can make proper southern bloody marys, has anyone got a canner? 

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