Estes Odessa's newest published author

Laura Estes of Odessa, proprietor of a home-based business called “Laura’s Sage Country Quilts,” has now added published author to her resume. She has written a book called “Pintucks, Pleats & Ruching,” which provides detailed instructions on how to be creative with those particular sewing methods.

The book came about as the result of a trip to a Quilt Market, a wholesale international trade show for the quilting and soft crafts industries. In the U.S., it is held each fall in Houston, Texas and each spring in another location that moves from place to place throughout the country. Estes was at the spring show in Salt Lake City when she was approached by Sharon Frank, who asked her to submit some book ideas to Annie’s Sewing, a company based in Louisiana that deals with everything having to do with quilting, sewing and crafting.

Estes said she picked out fabrics from the new lines that came out in November and December of last year and January of this year. She made models of several items and provided the instructions for making them in February. One of the items did not photograph very well in the colors she had chosen, so she was asked to pick different colors and make another model.

After that, it was smooth sailing. The publisher checked the patterns and instructions for accuracy and clarity, but no additional revisions were deemed necessary.

In May of this year, she was sent proposed cover art for her approval. She was happy with layout, and the book went to press. The book is a 32-page, softcover edition with easy-to-follow instructions and colorful photos showing the finished products. The book is available for purchase at Experience Quilts! in Odessa, as well as through Annie’s Sewing.