Quilting books (yup more!)

Do you ever find that you have a great idea for a quilt but because you don't have time to make it right away you read more and see more and suddenly that quick quilt has got much grander?

Yesterday morning I was doodling a quilt I have had in mind for a while - a star based quilt inspired by the Paul Simon Song Under African Skies I was thinking Ohio stars with African fabrics and other nice simple square based ones. And then last night I read this book

and today between clients I browsed this book

and now I am planning irregular Mariners compass stars with a background of subtle but swirly flying geese as the sky. This may well be a good thing as the design in my head is way better now... and surely, as someone who has never actualy made a Ohio star yet I am not getting carried away am I? I mean the instructions don't look that hard.....!

But speaking of books, if you are UK based you gotta love the US$ exchange rate at the moment. I have been after this book for a while

because it is by the same author as this book which is just great. Beautiful quality pictures. I often browse it while I am drying my hair because it lives on the shelf next to the mirror I sit on floor to use and the book will stay open on the floor!

However the Threads of Faith book is only available second hand at a pretty high price - I keep scouring Abebooks and Amazon but have not found it for less than about £35. (For those not using UK currency by way of comparators a paperback novel here is about £7 or £8)

On a whim,I just went on Amazon.com. Now normally the postage makes that a pointless exercise - might as well use the UK site. I But, I got the book for $33.09 which makes it just under £15 . Bargain. Plus it even comes from a bookstore I visited when in New York some years ago so I can even imagine it being taken from the shelf and wrapped up just for me. Plus, I also found that they have this book new for £25 including postage and it isn't even available yet in the UK.

Downside is waiting several weeks for it to arrive but, hey, I might have some of those stars done by then!