Life is a journey. In Portrait of a Lady, Christina McCourt traces the journey of her grandmother with a stunning quilt that features blocks that represent the different stages of a woman’s life.

Along with the featured quilt there are five other projects that build on the Portrait of a Lady blocks: Brides Bouquet, Auntie’s Bed Quilt, Mother’s Throw, Nanny’s Table Runner, and a Love and Home Wall Hanging that celebrate a woman’s journey through life.

Portrait of a Lady: Quilts for a Woman’s Journey Through Life
by Christina McCourt
Kansas City Star Quilts
pickledish.com

    

Once again, Betsy Chutchian, award-winning quiltmaker and author of Gone to Texas, lets us in her great-great grandmother’s life and shares more of her journals written over a 25-year period from 1857 to 1882 – stories that capture the spirit of life on the Texas prairie.

Included are 14 projects inspired by Lizzie’s writing that illustrate pioneer life – friendship, chores, the help and guests, insects and pastimes.

Lizzie’s Legacy: More Quilts from a Pioneer Woman’s Journal
by Betsy Chutchian
Kansas City Star Quilts
pickledish.com

Need some fabric to try out these beautiful patterns? Look for the newest Collection for a Cause from Moda–Mill Brook, circa 1835.

Ask for both the book and fabric at your favorite independent quilt and fabric retailer.

    

In stores now, Bijoux was designed by Bari J. for Art Gallery Fabrics.

BIJOUX Fabric Collection by Bari J. from Art Gallery Fabrics on Vimeo.

Ask for it at your favorite independent quilt and fabric retailer.

    

Shipping to independent quilt and fabric retailers in May 2013.

    

Simple but impressive, these 15 fun projects transform felted wool into such beautiful and useful items as pincushions, wall hangings, holiday decorations, and brooches. Templates are included with instructions on applying the cut felt pieces using basic hand embroidery stitches. The book also teaches how to add the finishing touches, such as veins in leaves and adding beadwork or French knots. While instructing on the materials for these and other felt crafts, it provides information on how to hand-dye fabric, allowing crafters the opportunity to reuse fabric scraps for these easy-to-sew felt projects.

Ask for it at your favorite independent quilt and fabric retailer.