Deploy that Fabric: 23 Sewing Projects Use Military Uniforms in Everyday Life

As we sit at our machines and obsess happily through our seams, it’s too easy for many of us American creative types to forget that we are a nation at war and that we have many military men and women serving here and abroad. Jen Eskridge brings that reality to our sewing rooms in a big, but wonderful, way. Deploy that Fabric uses fabric captured from tired military uniforms and reworks it into quilts, bag, home décor and more. Because the projects are so nicely designed, they manage to be casual and classy at the same time.
What’s absolutely brilliant about this book, though, is that Jen provides incredibly useful info on how to take apart the uniforms and discover hidden fabric behind pockets, as well as how to repurpose patches, buttons and zippers. Her deconstructing tips can be used on civilian clothes, too. She writes from the perspective of a military wife, one who totally gets this system filled with rules, tradition and honor, but still offers fun, practical items to make. This one is worth the money. (Generation Q Magazine, 7/13/11)

In a completely new take on keepsake quilts, Jen Eskridge, seasoned quilter and military wife, shows her readers how to be creative with recycled fabrics from service uniforms. The book was intended to honour service members fighting for their country but all the techniques can be adapted and applied to making quilted keepsakes from any old items of clothing. The book is split in three sections: deconstructing a uniform, quilting projects and quilting techniques. Each pattern is coded for its skill level and they range from novice to skilled. This is a unique and creative title which breathes fresh life into traditional concepts via 23 innovative new projects. (Popular Patchwork Magazine, February 2012)