Quilt shop owner sews up book writing
Tuesday, February 21, 2006 7:06 AM PST
By Joan Kropf
Printable version
E-mail this articleLONG BEACH --Karen Snyder didn’t just write her first quilt book. She also had to sew it.
"Bundles of Fun: Quilts from Fat Quarters" features patterns for 12 quilts, each one made from a bundle of 12 "fat quarters," fabric measuring 18 x 22 inches. To illustrate it, Snyder needed to produce 27 quilts -- two for each pattern and a few made from leftovers.
"I thought the deadline for the quilts was June 15," Snyder said. She had enlisted friends to help and they were steaming along, when then the publisher called on May 5 with a question.
"Where are the quilts?"
The deadline actually had been May 1.
"We starting working even faster," Snyder said.
The results are gorgeous. Hot off the presses this week, the brightly written book showcases her stylish, practical ideas, as well as her humor and marketing savvy.
"We bundle a lot of fabrics and I wanted to promote them," said Snyder, who owns Anna Lena’s Quilt Shop. "I like to help people choose fabrics -- but there are so many, sometimes it’s overwhelming."
A bundle contains preselected fabrics in the right amount to make a quilt.
Snyder's shop has more than 5,000 bolts, so "Quilters love to pick up bundles because the fabrics are already coordinated."
Clever packaging makes them even more appealing: Asian prints tied up with chopsticks, beach prints in a sand pail, Halloween prints in a trick-or-treat cone.
Snyder adapted 12 patterns to be made with one or two bundles, plus accent, border and backing fabric. Each chapter includes sections on choosing fabric, cutting and piecing instructions, diagrams, and finishing details, including labels. Tips cover everything from pressing to decorative hand stitching.
Diagrams are designed to make cutting and piecing easy and to use fabric efficiently. The occasional doll quilt or pillow sham utilizes scraps.
And you've got to love the names Snyder has given the patterns (remember 12 pieces per bundle): Cheaper by the Dozen, Twelve Easy Pieces, Twelve O’Clock Rock, Vitamin B-12, and, her personal favorite, Twelve-Step Program.
From KP Books, an imprint of F + W Publications Inc.; $22.99. To place an order or obtain a free catalog, phone 800-258-0929.425-614.1608.
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