2014 Summer Book Club: Savor Each Stitch by Carolyn Friedlander - The Jolly Jabber Quilting Blog

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2014 Summer Book Club: Savor Each Stitch by Carolyn Friedlander

142 Comments

Hello everyone! Today’s 2014 Summer Book Club pick is Savor Each Stitch by none other than one of our favorite modern quilter, Carolyn Friedlander. Carolyn’s background in architecture has helped her develop her own modern, clean aesthetic. This book is an exploration of how selecting different materials, textures, and substrates combined with playing with the design concepts of line, contrast, scale, emphasis, color, volume and texture can impact the end result of the design. The projects in Savor Each Stitch range from table runners to full sized quilts and comes in a multitude of colorway options. This book is not just your typical quilt book. Carolyn has given us new and innovative techniques that you’re sure to love. 

Carolyn Friedlander

Photography © Alexis Wharem, Greenprint Photography reprinted by permission by Lucky Spool Media, LLC. 
Photography © Alexis Wharem, Greenprint Photography reprinted by permission by Lucky Spool Media, LLC.
Photography © Alexis Wharem, Greenprint Photography reprinted by permission by Lucky Spool Media, LLC.

Now it’s time for our 2014 Summer Book Club giveaway! We are giving away a stash of books to ten lucky winners from now until the end of August. To enter, comment below and tell us how you experiment with your quilt designs. One winner will be picked each week and all the winners will be announced August 26th. Good Luck and happy quilting!

142 comments

  1. I haven't made a quilt yet. Yet being the key word! I would really love to make one!

    I have done some small scale quilting making zippy pouches and tablet cases – my experimentation comes in doing different stitched quilt finishes (if you know what I mean..free motion quilting I think is the term!) Anyway, I'm new to quilting and would love all the help and advice these books could offer!

  3. I am just learning FMQ so I guess that is my biggest experimentation. I am always looking for ideas on new quilts, techniques and tricks. Would love to try out a few new books.

  4. Because I have not made that many quilts I have yet to experiment with a quilt design. With other things I have sewn I do experiment with easier and quicker ways of sewing things. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

  5. Sometimes I try my quilt design as a doodle on paper. I measure out the space I'm going to use it on and then with a pen or pencil I "sketch" it out. Or a piece of clear vinyl and a dry erase marker work good too.

  8. I find the quilting part the hardest and am slowly trying new skills apart from echo quilting and stitch in the ditch on smaller projects like table mats. x

  9. I usually draw out a block or overall design when I get inspiration. Then I follow by doing the math going backward from the final size I'd like to create. Always in pencil, never in pen!

  11. I have not done a ton of experimenting but i do a lot of sketching and math beforehand and googling other similar blocks to see what's been done and what I like. Then I start sewing and usually discover my math was off so there's a lot of free form sewing involved as well. Lol.

  13. I use a spreadsheet program and set all the cells so that my computer screen looks like graph paper. Then I play around with shapes and colors until I find a combination I like.

  14. Being a new quilter (18 months) I feel like everything I do is still experimental. I like to try a new technique with every project and learn what works for me and what doesn't. I never want this art to become a chore for me so I remember where the joy is in each project.

  15. I have been learning by reading blogs and watching you all on YouTube and Facebook and every internet thing I can find….so I been experimenting with my own mind creations I made my own lil owls and cut them out on freezer paper then cut out fabric pieces to make my own appliqué (I guess that's what's it's called)! Then I sewed them all onto a tMaterial top with embroidery thread then I traced my sweet Gboy named on the back material and hearts , because he was a heart baby! And just machine sewed on those lines! And put on binding and it turned out pretty fern good! Lol, but starting next Thursday night I will take an official class for beginners quilting and learn the proper ways! So excited !!!

  17. I love to make mini quilts to experiment with techniques and colour combinations. If I like it, I make a big quilt, and if i don't like it… I have a little mini quilt to give away!

  18. Thanks for the giveaway! I have made a lot of quilts following a pattern, but always try to put a fabric twist on it. Recently, I've been learning to use classic blocks with modern fabrics and I love the results!

  21. I haven't designed my own quilt yet. I did change a quilt pattern that I was working on to make it larger and I rearranged the blocks to make a different pattern, so I guess that counts. Thank you for the opportunity to win this book.

  22. I think most of my experimentation with quilting is related to how best to hand quilt a project whilst avoiding quilting through lots of seam allowances! Sometimes the design I want to quilt won't work with the blocks I've pieced and I have to find a way round it or an alternative design. It can be frustrating but it's rewarding when I find the right combination!

  23. Other quilters have inspired me to try colors I previously have not used…poison green, purple, cheddar…love 'em all now. When it comes to applique I love three dimensional flowers, buds and leaves to add interest. It's always fun to experiment! 1018

  24. My biggest fear and obstacle was putting different fabrics together, till I found Lori Holt's Blog and sewed 'a few' Row Along Quilts. It was so much fun – I have yet to look back. Sometimes I have to let things simmer at different stages in the quilt making, before going on to the next step, but my sewing room has become a little haven. Love your giveaway – thanks for this chance!

  26. I love to play with EQ7.. and then try making my idea on a small scale first. But sometimes, I just have to jump in and go large! Most of the time they work out, and if not, I change it as I go. Thanks for the fun!!

  27. I'll take a quilt pattern that I like and then use elements of it, adding my own. I might use the block but turn it on its side. I might add more blocks to change the size of the quilt. I seldom use the recommended colors or fabrics, working either from my stash or colors/fabrics that "speak to me."

  29. I've rarely made a patterned quilt that I didn't change somehow but recently I have been playing with my own creations. Sketching or just diving in piecing, some very improv and some more structured. Lots of fun!

  30. I like to experiment by putting together colours that I think won't work. But, they usually do!
    wlinda_ca at yahoo dot com

  33. My husband calls this my year of experimentation. I am making some improvisational blocks, experimenting with larger blocks and color combinations. Thanks for a chance to win. I LOVE Caroline's fabrics.

  34. My grandma and mom both quilted..I am just now starting..this book would be awesome..with that said I have made a ton of the yo yo's to help with a quilt years ago..thanks..pinned some of your beautiful images..Thanks again, Vickie
    floridagld (at) yahoo (dot) com

  35. Well there's always the colors challenge, but circles are my present experiments. It's okay if they're supposed to be scattered, but I end up making it that way. Thanks for the chance.

  39. I'm always making little quilt sandwiches to test FMQ. I'm just not confident and want to practice a bit first. Thanks so much for the giveaway!

  43. I get inspired from pictures and drawings, and have made several mini quilts using ruffles as peacocks feathers, etc. I can also improvise out from a starting point, doing the math and all.

  44. I'm just beginning at piecing and quilting so haven't even begun to think about experimenting. Although, choosing fabrics other than what is shown in the pattern is about as close as I've come to using my own ideas. kthurn@bektel.com

  45. I usually sketch my designs on paper or use a piece of vinyl over the quilt and draw with a dry erase marker. When I decide on something, I run my ideas past hubby – he always gives great feedback and so far, so good!

  48. I love to design my own quilt patterns. I try out different fabrics and techniques by making a mini quilt. I do steer away from synthetics though, my machine just doesn't like them.

  49. Fabrics talk to me and they usually tell what they want to be, don´t they? I like to experiment with scrappy quilts that include piecing, applique (or 3D) and stitching together. Thank you!

  50. I'm not real scientific about it. I get an idea and then I just go for it and sometimes I hit the mark, sometimes I miss and sometimes I surprise myself and it surpasses my expectations. Sometimes I use a pattern to make sure I get a good finished product.

  51. I usually have an idea of what I want to do with a quilt. I play around with the choosing of just the right fabrics. Right now, I'm figuring out fabrics for a Mini Nail Polish quilt.

  53. I usually use a combination of EQ7 and laying out some fabrics on the table! Often the quilts end up looking how I intended, block wise, sometimes they are completely different when it comes down to the fabrics, but I always love seeing them in the flesh. I am still amazed how different fabrics can affect how a quilt looks.

  55. I choose a drawing of a block, then I copy it a lot of times. I use pencil crayons to experiment with different color combinations until I get the one that I will use to make a quilt. Thanks!

  56. I have made a few quilts through the quilting club I belong to. When I get some cute machine emb. designs, I start thinking quilts. the machine emb. design talks to me & I put them up on my design wall. My biggest problem is selecting the colors of fabric to go with it. If I get the first color in my head then the next color is the hardest, or the print in the fabric. Picking colors & fabric is not easy for me, but I keep on trying, and eventually I get it done. Thank you for giving me a chance to win.
    Linda King
    lindaking4070@yahoo.com

  57. Oh my goodness, those quilts take my breath away. I have started quilting late in life, so not sure my skills will be enough to make something that beautiful.

    Scorpie~

  59. Lovely lovely quilts! I would love to win the books. I am working to get some new books into our guilds library that reflect modern and new things in quilting. We have no budget this year and so it is very hard to get this revised. I hope I win,I hope I win I hope I win..:)

  61. As I'm still learning to quilt, everything is an experiment! Coming from a garment sewist background, even if I have a pattern to follow, I still try to do something different–not always to good results (then I've learned why the pattern was written that way!). But I'm enjoying the process, soaking it all up. I love learning new things!
    ~Debbie

  62. I think of a mood or a feeling, and then I ask myself how I would express that feeling with cloth and design. Lately, I have been playing with a color and shades and gradations of that color. Looking at the most recent output, I would say that the mood was HAPPY! Just looking at the finished piece makes me HAPPY!

  63. Goodness do I love books. I use each quilt as a learning experience, so there's some experimentation with each one. The one I am making now is a Drunkard's Path and the first time I tried curves. I'm also doing a Farmer's Wife and I'm learning so much from that. After I finish those, I will start an exploration into quilting, which I've never enjoyed as much as I do the piecing. I'm taking FMQ and Walking Foot Quilting classes on Craftsy, and will sign up for longarming classes at my LQS this fall, as well as doing one quilt by hand using Thimblelady's method. There's so much to learn!

  64. I love experimenting with color combinations, after deciding which blocks I will be using to form the quilt. The colors can make or break a quilt, and it usually takes me a day to make the final decision, after playing with many color combinations. Thank you for the giveaway opportunity.
    lv2bquilting2@comcast.net

  65. I've always experimented with color; rarely do I make a pattern in the recommended colorway. I feel like I was doing traditional blocks with modern fabrics before it was a trend! But I have yet to experiment with block design or placement beyond adding sashing. I think Carol Friedlander's book would open up that part of the quilting process for me. Thank you for expanding our horizons – both new and experienced quilters!

  66. I'm going to start a quilted bag this weekend and I plan to try the quilt-as-you-go method. That takes extra time to plan an sew, but I think it will work out. Love trying new things (most of the time).13123

  67. I love to use traditional quilt blocks and make my own quilt designs. I experiment with color and shape and texture. I am very new to fmq, having spent many years doing diagonal stitching, as well as the old reliable, stitch in the ditch.

  68. I get a great deal of inspiration from things I see on blogs. I still use graph paper and colored pencils to draw out ideas. I am a visual person so I have to do a lot of experimenting and see things together before I make a decision.

  76. My quilts often start with grid paper, a pencil and the tiniest hint of an idea. When I do use a pattern you can be sure I will change it. I enjoy the challenge of the math to get things how I envision them to best suit me or the fabric I have. Thanks for the giveaway.

  77. I'm relatively new to serious quilting, having been mostly a craft sewer, so every quilt is an experiment for me. Whether it's experimentation with color or pattern or form, it's great to learn and have fun as I go!

  78. When I see a picture of a quilt that appeals to me, I like to try to recreate the blocks in it without a pattern. I'll blow it up to see how the blocks are made & figure out sizing. It's fun & a good brain exercise!

  79. Color/fabric selection is a constant challenge for me. I do not use just a single collection of fabrics, I challenge myself to pull/add many different fabrics. My free motion quilting is very "free" so far….know what I mean?!

  80. I find that I do the same thing with patterns that I do with recipes. I find patterns that I like, and combine elements that are appealing from each. Mish-mash I guess. 🙂

  82. When designing my own I will pull fabrics that I want then use a small design wall of foam board
    Or, I start with a pattern and work with color and texture
    Then, the quilting!

  83. I definitely like to add my own signature to everything I do. Many patterns are very inspirational and offer a lot of ways to do-you-own-thing. Another big plus for any pattern is that someone else has figured out the yardage requirements!

  84. I am still learning so everything is an experiment fo me. I really want to learn how to free motion quilt so that is next on my list of things to learn. Thanks for the opportunity to win one of these books.

  85. I usually follow the pattern, but right now I have a small quilt top that I want to turn into a larger quilt top, and I want it to be modern and interesting. So I'm looking for inspiration and ideas.

  87. I experimented by taking a paper pieced wall hanging pattern that I admired and reduced the pattern to make a mug rug instead of a wall hanging. My daughter loved it!

  88. I sometimes like to add another design element either in the texture and value in color of the fabric or change up some of the piecing design to create a block that's a little different and fits my quilt. I do love to learn a new technique or fun short cut~ that just makes my day!

  89. I experiment with clear vinyl. Draw the design and then lay on top of the quilt to see how it would look. With a dry marker, you can try and try until you find one that you like. Then, I practice on paper or a dry erase board.

  90. I like to try new settings just to be a bit different. Haven't made a real traditional quilt in quite a while. I'm enjoying the modern look. Thanks

  93. Still experimenting with all over designs. I do have stitch in the ditch looking pretty good. Thanks for the giveaway.

  94. If I see a Quilt Design Pattern that I like I rework the measurements to fit the size I need trying to keep as much as the Original design~

    Thanks for this Great Give Away!!

    Nancy

  95. Right now I am experimenting with natural fabric dyes and combining them with commercial fabrics….I would love to experiment with a variety of patterns to see how the two entities work with one another.

  96. When I am in the mood to push forward, I will make a commitment to a retreat, and sign up for something new that interests me. Then in the months preceeding, I will scour the internet, books, magazines, etc for ideas and stimulation to help with my fabric choices. By the time the fun arrives, I have my fabric ready and a vague idea of where it might go. Often not at all what I had planned, but so much better! For me, the fun is also in seeing what others do with the same basic directions. I so look forward to seeing what the end result brings! Ms. Friedlander's book is enticing, maybe a good choice for such an adventure. New perspective is a good thing! I'd love a copy of her book! Thanks!

  97. I'm not good at following directions, so I usually design my own quilts, as I go. Also not good at drawing! The finished quilt is a surprise to me and whoever I make it for. I go with the flow and "build" as inspiration comes, usually at 2 AM! I use blogs, Pinterest, and Facebook for inspiration when I'm stuck in a creative rut. The quilting designs come to me as I'm creating the top and I make notes as I go so I have them to remind me when I load it on the longarm to quilt it.

  99. I usually will plan my quilt out on graph paper and experiment with changes that way. I love to take a design and see what happens when I change up the color placements. But sometimes, I'll just start improv sewing and see what turns up!

  100. I am still fairly new, but I did change some of the applique on a wedding quilt I made for my daughter. Found something more interesting to use on part of it. crystalbluern at onlineok dot com

  102. I love picking out quilts that I intend to do, whether it be with an individual pattern or something that caught my eye in a quilt book or magazine. Each quilt I do, (not many yet) I try to put my own spin on it. Therefore, I have BIG ideas, it just takes me longer to see the end result. Usually I work out the changes on graph paper. I just hope I live long enough to do all the quilts I want to do. 🙂

  103. Almost everything I make "requires" a change from the original instructions. I have trouble not making it original. I make it bigger, smaller, add borders or take them away. Quilting is great fun for that. I can do it any way I choose.

  104. I am currently guided by my assistants, ages 2 & 5, to arrange and/or use fabrics in rainbow order.
    I am sometimes allowed to mix in Princess, Tink, mermaid, or penguin prints depending on the project at hand… thanks for the chance to win!

  105. This book looks very appealing to me in so many ways. I love quilts that are different, and would love to be the recipient of this book!

  106. I retired and now I am quilting. Don't know how many quilts I use but keep quilting anyway

  111. I haven't quilted yet, but just following Carolyn's work on Instagram and she has inspired me to want to make quilts. Winning this book would continue the inspiration. Heather O

  114. I love my quilty magazines! I usually do a twist on the tutorials published in there. I love to mix up the colors. I am currently working on a feather quilt for my husband but he is a major St. Louis cardinals fan so instead of the bright pinks and purples and blues that they used in the quilt I chose the black red and yellow colors that the cards sport! thank you for the giveaway
    amccrerrand(at)gmail(dot)com
    <3 Ashton

  115. I'm a new quilter, so I'm not sure I've done that much experimenting yet – or does that mean that everything is an experiment? I'm currently making a quilt of my own design, and very much making it up as I go along!

  116. I'm always terrified I'm going to do the wrong thing and cut my fabric incorrectly, so I tend to experiment on paper and in my head – I often fall asleep dreaming of quilt layouts.

  118. I do a Flickr/Pinterest binge to see how other quilters have quilted similar shapes and look through my books on free-motion quilting until something jumps out at me as the right shape to go with.

  121. The 2 quilts I've done recently rely on making fabric I have work (a panel and a border print). Sso it was a "design" to make the panel/ border and other elements fit properly. I like the freedom to adjust designs to fit my needs, so I often gather inspiration and hope for the best! Thanks for the chance to win! Sarah : crjandsbj(at)netzero(dot)com

  123. My goal this year has been to use up all the fabric that I am using on a quilt that I am making. At first, I would start sewing together extra cut pieces of fabric that I didn't use on the top for the back with no design in mind. I spent so much time measuring my pieces that I had sewn together and figuring out how many more pieces that I needed to make so that the quilt back was larger than the top. I hated doing this with out a solid plan. Then the light bulb went off in my head to use grid paper and colored pencils to design my quilt back. WOW! The old idea that I learned from a friend many moons ago finally sunk in. Now I enjoy designing my quilt tops and backs using my new"old" technique!

  124. Sometimes I play with designs in EQ which is a great way to see how things might look. Sometimes I sew up a small number of blocks, which is a great way to see if I enjoy making them. Sometimes I start with patterns designed by others and make changes to them. I love quilting for all the freedom it gives you to make something your own!

  125. I like to make a trial block. If if doesn't work, it becomes a new potholder or trivet. Another good way for me is fabric cut out and glued down on paper. Then I can hang it on the wall and no sewing involved.

  126. Well, every quilt I make is a huge experiment, as they evolve as they go; size, setting, color placement, etc. All can change based on how things look as I progress with the project. The biggest factor influencing things is color and balance. sarah@forrussia.org

  128. I am a new and infrequent quilter so right now I am just enjoying scrappy improvisational quilting – mostly strip piecing and variations on log cabin. I usually just wing it. Love Carolyn's style of improv and think this book would inspire me.

  129. My experiments haven't been too far reaching yet. I usually change up the size, color, or emphasis of the design if and when I make changes.

  131. I experiment by planning the design in a certain arrangement of values; then I reverse the values. Also, if the design isn't symmetrical, I may cut it up into smaller panels, and turn them in different directions.

  132. I'm adding embroidery to the one I'm working on now – still seeing how it goes!

    I think I'm not a no-reply, but just in case: jhunsberger (at) gmail (d0t) c0m

  134. I don't usually experiment much with a quilt design since I like the ease of following a pattern. I do really enjoy changing colors around though, it's amazing how different patterns can look with different selections of color.

  136. Carolyn Friedlander's book looks amazing! My quilting designs are usually inspired by books of quilting designs. I will take designs and adapt them to what I happen to be working on. I also love the ease of the good old pantograph. Or I will combine both custom and pantos sometimes too. I try not to limit myself too much.

  137. I start with an idea and then draw it on graph paper. I also make hst and geese to audition various designs. I might start doing that with paper pieces so I can use the real ones.

  140. Many of my experiments are the result of errors on my part!! Like when I made way too many Delectable Mountains blocks for my daughter's wedding quilt so I turned the extra blocks into the wedding signing "book"…when it came time to put them together into a quilt, I definitely was winging it! Turned out great! Sometimes I will get a picture in my head of what I want the quilt to look like…some hits, some misses, but all quilty hugs!

  141. Wow I am fascinated by this book. Although I generally use a pattern lately with the modern craze it has helped me to stretch my imagination and made me feel more confident to try to just think outside the box and make it a little bit of my own design. I am having fun.