I’m so excited to announce my new book, which is coming out October 1 – Sewing For All Seasons!

This book came to life over a very eventful year – first, I created colorful inspiration boards for each season, sketched out all 24 projects, shopped for fabric for each of them and swatched it all onto tiny library cards for my editor to look over (which you can also see throughout the book!). After that, I tweaked things here and there, drafted patterns, and then sewed final versions of everything… those months flew by!

I was so happy to get a few advance copies in the mail yesterday, and wanted to share some of the book pages here. There are six projects for each season, and I chose one of each to spotlight, along with the chapter openers – it was so fun to send our photographer Jennifer Causey two huge boxes of my fabrics, tools, and notions and then see the gorgeous settings she created!

These nesting canisters are on my shelf in my sewing room, and they are so handy for everything – I just love them.

I used a single strip of some of my favorite Denyse Schmidt fabrics, plus a little more for binding, on each one – I love efficient patterns. I had saved the last bit of my fat quarter of her Katie Jump Rope dots for years and this was such a nice way to finally use it to maximum effect, I see them every day now!

The summer picnic quilt was a very special project. I was halfway through piecing my 64 string blocks, and a little overwhelmed by endless strips and scraps of fabric in my basement sewing room, so I asked some PMQG friends to come to a little quilting bee at my dining room table. We picked a convenient day, Petra, Heather, Brittany, and Rachel kindly set up their sewing machines, and we sewed all morning and then ordered Thai food once we reached the magic number of 16 blocks each in white, yellow, coral and orange – such a fun few hours! I finished the top that same afternoon.

I backed it with one of my favorite Vera sheets, and then Nancy quilted it so beautifully. I love this quilt – and I think of my friends every time I see it.

The autumn projects are some of my absolute favorites. I use the coffee cup cozy pretty much every time I leave the house! I didn’t have a French press of my own last year, so I asked around… Jen was nice enough to measure hers and send me the dimensions so I could make a sample.

The winter projects were the last ones I worked on, and it was so much fun to mix fresh, new fabrics and colors in this crisp, pretty palette, so different from the warmth of the other three.

If you’ve known me for awhile, you might remember my cute-as-a-button handbags I used to sell on my susanstars website and at craft fairs. I decided to share the pattern in this book – I love this little bag and its simple triangle closure, and of course picking out the right button is the best part. So now you can make your own!

A huge thank-you to Denyse Schmidt and Brett Bara for their kind words on the back cover! This is my first-ever hardback book, which I think is so cool. The saturated colors and satin finish are beautiful. Chronicle did the best job with it all, and opening the package to see the surprise of four of my books yesterday was like Christmas!

I have two book events planned and would love to see you there!

• First, a Modern Domestic is hosting a book launch party on Friday, September 27 from 6-8 pm. We’ll have refreshments, prizes, and a special bonus autumn project kit to go with every book!
• Then, on Sunday, October 13, Powell’s City of Books is hosting a book signing at 4pm, and I’ll be drawing winners for holiday projects prizes.

You can pre-order Sewing For All Seasons through Chronicle Books, Powell’s Books, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, or your favorite local bookstore. I can’t wait to show you more of the projects, and add some extras to my little book website, too! Thank you so much to my guest contributor Michelle Freedman (I’ll let her show off her two projects herself, they are beautiful!) and everyone who helped make this book so special, especially my editor, Laura Lee Mattingly.

Hope to see you at the PMQG picnic meeting or the other PNW MQG meet-up events this weekend!