Favorite Links
Here are some of my favorite internet links. In an attempt for ease of navigation, I have tried to divide them by subject category. Check out whatever interests you!
Beads
Books
Education
Entertainment
Quilting
Web Design
...and Other
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Beads
- i-bead.com
- This is Amy Loh-Kusper's site. She is a great designer-- my first two beaded projects were hers (Frog's Folly and Serengetti Watchers). The instructions were detailed and easy to understand, and the finished products were beautiful.
- The Beaded Bear
- Home of designer Sigrid Wynne-Evans. She creates the most beautiful beaded designs (and they're a lot of fun to make too)!
- Bead-Patterns.com
- Immediate gratification! Downloadable patterns by some of the best designers available for purchase.
- Beaded Images
- The best selection of Delica's I've found, and at great prices. They also have amazing customer service-- I mean, awesome!
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Books
- Publishers Weekly On-line
- This is a great resource for finding out what's what in the book buisness. Unfortunately, not much is accessible anymore but to subscribers (but I'm one-- so it's good for me!).
- Bookfinder.com
- You can try this independently run site for your out of print book needs. I've not actually bought through this site, but it seems to be connected with all of the same stores as amazon/com's Bibliofind and bn.com, so the searches and results are still fruitful, and it is not owned by Amazon.com if that makes you happy.
- Amazon.com
- ...but you know what? I happen to like amazon.com. It has a great selection of books and an awesome database. I love to go and read about what's new.
- BN.com
- I'm also a fan of bn.com-- I love the free shipping.
- Jessica's Biscuit
- This is my new favorite place to buy cookbooks. Great selection (they even had the Cooking Light Annual 2003 new when no one else did!), great prices, and free shipping.
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Education
This is indeed a motley collection of links... they are grouped here because I think they are educational. It's all arbitrary and capricious anyway.
- Fiona's Shark Mania
- This is where I found the nifty shark I put on my Home page. Not only does she have great shark clip-art, but there is lots of great shark info and links.
- Shark Surfari
- This is the National Geographic shark site. It's got lots of shark info, links, and a quiz (you can earn your very own shark expert certificate!).
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Entertainment
- Yahoo! Movies
- This site is sooo awesome! I don't really use it for anything but checking local movie times, but that's plenty! It's up-to-date, lists all surrounding theatres, and gives little blurbs about the movies and lists major critics' reviews.
- The Alamo Drafthouse
- One of our favorite Austin theatres-- lots of fun events and tasty treats.
- The Dobie Pages
- This is page is everything Dobie Gillis! You remember-- that classic '50s television show? Well, maybe not... but I do-- and I was even inspired to name my kitten after one of the main characters :)
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Quilting
I love to quilt and have spent much time looking around and about on the web. In my journeys, I have found quite a few great places to go-- both to learn about quilting, gain inspiration, and to SHOP! :)
Shops
- Big Horn Quilts
- This is a wonderful online fabric store (definitely my favorite). Julie has a wonderful selection, a great search engine, and updates with new fabrics every other day or so (I like it because she labels those new ones in their own section, so you don't have to search the entire site to find out what's new). Every time I have sent e-mail with comments and questions (like, "What's the repeat on fabric x?"), she almost always responds the same day. And-- BONUS :)-- she discounts all of her products. They even offer gift certificates (hint,hint!).
- Fab Shop Hop
- This site is a starting point from which one can visit 100s of online shops. Every so often they do virtual "shop hops"-- you visit a list of shops (usually themed by type-- designers, quilting related, sewing related)-- and find the bunny at each site and get entered for spiffy prizes. What I most like about this site is the opportunity it gives me to check out new stores that I would likely miss otherwise. Everytime I join a "hop" I find new and fund stores to visit.
- EQuilter
- I love this site for the wonderful selection of Oriental designs and very unusual fabrics (almost none of which I have ever seen here in Austin-- so though she doens't discount her products, the quality and uniqueness of what she has makes the shipping worth while).
- Soft Expressions
- This store features quilting and design products that are technology and often computer related. Not only can you buy products here though-- you can also learn about how to use them. I just recently purchased some Bubble Jet Set to use with my new printer-- and the instructions Soft Expressions provides on how to use it have been invaluable. Very cool-- and my shopping experience was great.
- Once Upon A Quilt
- This store offers great selections of battings, good prices, and is (so far) the only site on the web I've found that offers Pfaff products for sale online.
- Pacific Rim Quilt Company
- This site has great things to offer in terms of Hawaiian quilts and applique. A great resource for patterns and Hawaiian quilting information and links.
- Web of Thread
- This store offers the best in thread and other embellshing items for quilters. So far, this site has had to most to offer in terms of variety and information. Good stuff!
Education & Resources
- Quilt University
- This is an on-line arena of learning! Here you will find all sorts of quilt classes on a variety of topics, directed to all levels of quilters, from the basics to very advanced techniques. They do charge for the majority of classes, but if you're unsure, you can take their free "check-it-out" class, or just browse around. You'll find some great tips (how to sew the perfect 1/4" seam!), a plethora of book reviews, and more. I took an amazing class there called "Bargello Reflections." It was a very worthwhile learning experience!
- Houston International Quilt Festival
- Being as I live in Texas, and am a quilter, it only stands to reason I have a link to the largest quilt market and festival in the world! Every year, November-time, Quilt Festival occurs, offering classes, incredible, breath-taking quilt shows and competitions, and the best quilt shopping EVER! Check out this site to get all of the info and even register for classes.
- Quiltshops.com
- This isn't a fabric store, but it has links to some of the best fabric sites on the web (at least so I've found). I just have a good time visiting some of them and checking out what's new. It also has some links to on-line guilds and organizations.
- Electric Quilt Company
- This site is for the makers of Electric Quilt 4. It's got the new update one can download, lots of great projects, an on-going mystery quilt, and on-line help! Loads and loads of information and fun stuff if you are an EQ user.
- Cats Who Quilt!
- This fabulous little site is full of fun stuff. You can buy products relating to cats and quilting-- including Judy Heim's own book Cats Who Quilt!-- but you can also find some great information. Links to free cat patterns, a cat pattern database, and sewing room safety tips for pet owners. A great kitty-cat-quilt resource with a sense of humor!
- Denver Fabrics Hints & Tips
- This is a great resource for handy stuff like: Fabric Yardage Conversion Information and Sewing Fabric Roses. Great information!
Web Design
- W3C
- This is the site of the World Wide Web Consortium. Apparently they are
the Gods of the Web-- and they are the ones who determine the standards that
should be used on the web. All powerful-- they also help the uneducated ones
like me with handy-dandy tutorials-- like Style Sheets! Pretty handy!
- HTML Goodies!
- Wanting to know how to....with HTML/Javascript/Graphics? This is the place to go. A veritable plethora of information can be found here on all of those subjects and more.
- Boogie Jack's Web Depot
- A wonderful collection of web design goodies. Plus, he offers tutorials, a newsletter, and just generally useful information.
- The Scriptorium
- This site is the place for classic fonts from throughout history. They have some free fonts, however, it is mostly shareware. But it's just cool to browse through and read some of the "history" behind each lettering style. A great resource!
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...and Other
- AlleyCat Allies
- This site is a wonderful resource for anyone who is either interested in cats and/or finding out more about strays, feral cats, and cat adoption. I printed out their guide to Socializing Feral Kittens which was a great help to us when we got our kitties. Lots of great information, and a worthy charitable cause!
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Updated: 08/24/2006