Sew + Quilt by Susan Beal

I am always on the lookout for great introductory books to recommend to those looking to jump into sewing and quilting. It’s hard to learn when you don’t know what you don’t know. Some people may not live within driving distance of a shop to take classes in person, or have responsibilities at home that prevent them from getting out for classes. This is why I was excited to get a chance to check out Susan Beal’s latest book, Sew + Quilt - Techniques + Projects for Hand-Stitching + Patchwork - A Beginner’s Guide.

I am lucky enough to call Susan a friend (hi Susan!) and she sent me a copy of this book. Susan is a prolific author in the craft industry, so even before I opened this one, I knew it would be great. The book is geared towards those starting out sewing, embroidering, and quilting…but it is also full of cute projects for all levels.

I love the visual on the edge of the book - the aqua pages represent Tools and Techniques, the green pages represent Sewing and Embroidery projects, and the yellow pages represent Quilting projects.

The techniques include embroidery, cutting, piecing, quilting, basting, binding, pillow finishing and more. I pretty much can’t have enough practice when it comes to embroidery. Sew + Quilt gives instruction with visuals on several embroidery stitches. You can make these super cute samplers.

Love this adorable bag too, which combines beginner embroidery with bag making! Susan also includes pillow, pincushion, needle book, and tote projects.

The quilting projects also cover a nice range, from a beginner sampler to learn various piecing techniques, to larger, more involved quilts.

Sew + Quilt - Techniques + Projects for Hand-Stitching + Patchwork - A Beginner’s Guide lives up to its name as a great jumping off point for learning all about sewing and quilting. I’m happy to recommend it to others starting out, or looking for a little extra instruction on continuing their creative journey. As a mom of a tween, I also think this would be a great book for the junior high or high school student that has expressed interest in learning to sew or quilt. The projects are more mature than your typical kid’s sewing book. Check out Amazon or your local quilt or book shop for copies!

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