I’m really happy for Sue Spargo. I’ve never met her but she was able to do something that many artists, including us, would love to do: she was able to have a beautiful, hard-cover coffee table book of her work published by Martingale. Martingale gave me a copy of Stitches to Savor at International Quilt Market and asked if I’d review it. We only review books we like but we were delighted to be able to share this book with Craft Nectar readers.

There are no patterns or instructions in this beautifully photographed book but there is an endless amount of inspiration. With 200 photos of Sue’s work, you get a chance to focus on the details and composition of her work, which is hard to do in a pattern book. The detail photographs also allow the reader to see how Sue mixes cotton and wools, as well as hand work and machine techniques so effortlessly.

Not everyone is able to do handwork or enjoys it but this book makes you want to try something new. From the tiniest bead to the perfectly placed French knot, this book is beyond just eye candy. It’s a book to inspire. It’s a book for daydreaming and encouraging the reader to see new possibilities for familiar materials. You don’t flip through this book. You linger because there’s just so much to see. Regardless of your style of quilting, there will be something in this book that catches your eye and gets you thinking. If you’re thinking about a holiday gift for your favorite needleworker, this is the book you’re looking for.

I hope Stitches to Savor becomes the blockbuster hit of 2015 because the quality of both the work featured and the production of the book warrant it.