I have kicked myself for years for not buying from Fiber to Fabric when it was published in 1997. At that time quilting was fun, but I had not been seeking out lots of information. Now that I take my quilting more seriously and am a City and Guilds student, I was thrilled to find it in e-book format on C & T Publishing’s website. (It is also available in a print-on-demand format.) While I do not yet own an ebook reading device, I was readily able to read the book on my computer as it is a .pdf file. Unlike most quilting books, there are no projects…it is a reference book to be used as necessary.
One caveat---the book is about cotton quilting fabric, threads used in quiltmaking, and batting. It does not cover textiles made of other fibers such as wool and silk. Secondly the discussions on batting and threads are a little out of date, as these fields have burgeoned in the last two years since the electronic edition of the book was released. In the chapter on batting Ms Hargrave discusses some specific battings, while the thread chapter is much more generic, but does not talk about many of the specialized options available in the current marketplace.
For quiltmakers who want to understand the fabric and thread they are working with, this well-written book will tell you everything you want to know---and possibly more! The information on the processes used to create woven cotton fabric is extremely detailed and well illustrated. The information on how thread is produced is also well-illustrated and easy to understand. Ms Hargrave devotes a section to testing fabrics. While this may not be important for fast and easy quilts, it is important for heirloom quality quilts designed to last a long time. Although most quilters will not go to the lengths described to test their fabric for most projects, the information is there to use as needed.
For years I have suggested to interested students that they borrow the book from a library; now they can own a copy.
This is the link to the ebook (it is hard to find it directly with C & T's search function.) http://www.ctpub.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=1659
