Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Lazy Days in Quiltville - the Proposal

I'm finally ready to tell you about the book I'm working on. It's going to be about letters, strings, crumbs and orphans. The title is Lazy Days in Quiltville. I bet you can guess who my co-author is.


Yup, Bonnie and I are doing this book together. I'm really excited about it, although so far it hasn't gone beyond putting a rough outline together. This is the fun part, before the drudgery of the actual writing kicks in and before compromises have to be made with what the publisher wants. (Assuming we get one - but we're a long way off from worrying about that yet.)

Poor Bonnie has been working herself to the bone to get her own book complete (Scraps and Shirttails, due out in September from Kansas City Star Quilts - check out their homepage here) and I've been pestering her about this other one.

So letters are going to be in the book, with an emphasis on the basics. Nothing fancy, just learning how to make them and practising with them. Oh and using words in the border. Plus, Crumbs, Strings, orphans, Lazy 9-Patches, Maverick Stars and Hearts. Not to forget the freehand fans quilting.

So there won't be any free-piecing or houses. Just an emphasis on playing, casual piecing (mismatched seams on purpose!) and making personalized quilts. The strings are going to be basic as well - rows or squares. The string stars will be in the theoretical next book.

I'm really hoping that ya'all will get involved in making quilts for the book. If you're interested, please send me an email and I'll give you some guidelines and throw out ideas. Do be warned though that financial considerations will probably mean using quilts with U.S. (including APO and FPO) or maybe Canadian addresses in the book. Practicality sucks.

By the way, those L-O-V-E letters I showed you at the top of the blog? That's a project I'm working on with Bonnie. I actually thought of it more than a year ago and Bonnie sent me some additional solids to help round out the Amish color scheme but I've been sooo slow to finish. I made us duplicate blocks so that we can each make a quilt. Will be interesting to see what we each come up with.

I didn't just make duplicate blocks for the two of us. No, I sewed more and it made me nuts. I have three more sets to offer to anyone who wants to play with Bonnie and I. The goal is to use the set of blocks however you chose to. You can add more letters as well as strings, crumbs, stars, and hearts.

You can add other blocks or applique so long as they are your own design or in the public domain. Or from Quiltville - I'm sure Bonnie will give you copyright approval. Do think mismatched and casual though - nothing fancy.

These quilts might just go in the book. And no they don't have to be big quilts. The top has to be finished by the end of the year - no showing it on your blog (if you have one) - it has be kept a secret until we've all finished our tops.

If you're interested, send me an email: tartbr47 at hotmail dot com. I'm completely open to bribery and extra credit will go to those who will hand quilt it cuz I'm a sucker for that. If you have an idea of how you might use the blocks, tell me - I'd love to hear. The "drawing" (I warn you now it may just be rigged and completely unfair) will be held on the 4th of July - a nice, easy to remember date.

Part of me is tempted to show you examples of how L-O-V-E blocks have already been used, but I don't want to influence anyone's choice.

If you're interested in playing along, albeit with blocks you've constructed yourself, then hop on in. Four sets of L-O-V-E blocks. Use solid fabrics if you want to (I excluded yellow, white, bright orange and lime green) or go a different route.

31 comments:

  1. I am so happy for you!~
    congrats you can do this ....a book I will HAVE to OWN!!!!!
    Kathie

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  2. Oh this is very good news indeed! I for sure will buy this book! Very fun! It is sooo exctiting!

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  3. I'm very excited to hear that you are writing a book with Bonnie! I'm sure it will be a good one.

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  4. Woo hoo! Sounds like a great proposal. I imagine you'll get lots of help with quilts for the book, and lots of quilters looking for a little more adventure willing to buy it. :-)

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  5. Anonymous9:47 AM

    Oh Tonya, how exciting. I can't wait to see what you two come up with. I can tell it's going to be a favorite and it's not even written yet! Cool. Congratulations!

    Patti

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  6. WAY TO GO ~ how incredibly exciting and WHAT FUN!!!

    This book is already a MUST HAVE on my wish list!

    Enjoy the journey!!

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  7. I am so happy to hear about this book!

    nancy, near philadelphia

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  8. As they say in Shakespeare in Love, "good title"! How exciting that you are doing a book, best of luck with it.

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  9. Fabulous news! What a perfect combo (titlewise and inspiration-wise) - that's one book I shall have no hesitation in ordering.

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  10. Oh, I'm going to make a LOVE quilt using my way of adding the background by cutting on the outside of the letters. Count me in on a copy of your book. You are a great inspiraton to me.

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  11. Anonymous7:13 PM

    Such wonderful news! You and Bonnie are soooo talented, the book will be terrific!

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  12. How exciting! I can't wait to buy the book.

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  13. I can hardly wait to get your book in my grubby little paws.

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  14. I knew it! It didn't take a lot to work out who your co-author was.

    Oh I love those colours.

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  15. That's awesome that you're doing a book! I can't wait to get it-it sounds like it's going to be wonderful!

    I have a suggestion for your next book already-halloween!

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  16. You and Bonnie have always made a good team. I am looking forward to your new book.

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  17. Anonymous7:54 AM

    Best of luck! It's a dynamite idea--one more blow against the quilt police and for creativity.

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  18. a book? this will be a hit. i like the LOVE letters already. have a great time working on it.

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  19. LOVE looks terrific and a book in the air--I can't wait for its release. It will be wonderful.

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  20. Yay!!!! What a wonderful idea for a book. There's really nothing quite like it out there, and there's a big need. Awesome!!!

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  21. Weeeeeeeeee! We are out of the closet, or box....Yaaaahoooo! :cD

    I love the loves. The loves are so fun. I've thought of other words I want to do, with stringy thingies all around them....better get piecing!

    Bonnie

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  22. What? No lime green? Oh, alright, I'll still do it, if I don't win the blocks. You are so inspirational, Tonya. (You've got my name down for the book already.)

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  23. god, i feel like i am back in the 60s. i am always interested in your projects.

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  24. Anonymous2:32 PM

    You sure are busy. I would love to make a quilt but am too pokey. I can't wait to see what our fellow bloggers come up with.

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  25. Anonymous12:48 AM

    HEY,,,,CONGRADS! I CAN'T THINK OF ANY BETTER PEOPLE THAN YOU TWO TO CON-FLAB ON A BOOK. IT WILL BE SO APPRECIATED BY THE MASSES. CAN'T WAIT FOR MY COPY!

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  26. I love the colors you used to create the letters. Solid, saturated colors are becoming my favorites.

    Best wishes for your book proposal. I so enjoy reading your and Bonnie's blogs so I'm sure the book will be great.

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  27. Congratulations to Bonnie and you Tonya!! LOVE your LOVE blocks! Thank you for being an inspiration!

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  28. Can I order it right now ??? Congratulations !

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  29. What exciting news! You and Bonnie make a great team so we all know it will be a great book, have fun in the creating of it!

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  30. I absolutely love these! I've been wanting to play around with my stash of solids and my solid scraps for a while now. I'd love to do one of the tops, but if I don't win, I'd like to play along. Congratulations on the book proposal! It's sounds like a great idea! Oh, and I'd totally be willing to hand quilt. I'm just a few inches short of finally finishing the free hand fans on my Fourth of July stars quilt and I've really been enjoying it.

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