Bring Back the Past

Guess what?? I have good news for some of you who are newish fans. I just found out that my first book, American Doll Quilts (published in 2004), which has been out of print for a few years, is now available in a Print on Demand paperback edition through Amazon .

This is very good news! You know that it is VERY expensive for publishers to print up copies of a book, particularly a book that is more than a few years old that may not sell as well as a newer book. This is a great alternative for publishers.  I know some of you have already bought the digital version (e-book, which is also still available) because it was better than nothing when you could not find the actual book even though you really wished for a hard copy of this wonderful little book. Wishes come true!

(Photo by Brent Kane)

Unfortunately, there is no way to get a signed copy of the book from me since the copies are very expensive for me to buy myself from Amazon and then resell to you. (FYI - I am not making any money on this whole thing.) But we'll take what we can get, right? The good thing is that the book has been thrown back out there in the world of quilting again!

(Photo by Brent Kane)

Please keep in mind that it was my very FIRST book and when I had the idea and sent it to my publisher, I was more surprised than anyone when they accepted my proposal and said they would like to publish my book. I was not a very experienced quilter but took a chance anyway and was given FOUR months to make all of the quilts, do the research and write the text. Sheesh! Can you get it done in four months? they asked. Short answer to a quilting career: Of course I can! The pressure, please. I had NO idea what I was in for and so while it is a wonderful little book full of small quilts and projects, you can tell that I was almost like a child struggling with learning how to quilt as I went along. I did my very best, LOL.

So forgive my lack of expertise in the quiltmaking. Maybe no one will notice. Often, over the years, I have thought of re-making some of those little quilts now that I finally know what I am doing. But they DO have a certain charm I think, crooked stitches and unmatched seams and all. And anyway, the way I look at it - the past is the past and cannot be redone.

It fits right in with the theme of the book - making doll quilts with a childish hand the way they made them in the past. So many of you loved the  book  anyway and it became a best seller and allowed me to grow and have 3 more books published since then. So now you, my newer fans, who have been following me since my later books have been published, or maybe since I began writing this blog, will have the opportunity to finally collect all four of my books.

I am so happy about this. I am not sure how long this will last or if it will only be available for a certain time period, so make haste as they say.

So here's to simple little quilts and the beginners and children from long ago who made them and got started on a quilting journey . . . and the book that started the journey for me.