Oct 13
There cannot be a quilter on the planet that would not want this book. Subtitled 'The only quilt block compendium you'll ever need', with 500 blocks, it is no idle claim. Quilters of all levels and skills will find plenty of use. There are five themed chapters: blocks for everyone; simple blocks; intermediate; shapes and pictures and patterns. Each block is photographed (this is a small book so photos are small), has written instructions and block variations. Templates are included but need enlarging. The introduction shows all the techniques you need. There are also twenty projects to get you started using the blocks. I love the broken dishes tea towel. The Amish quilt doorstop and tablet case also attractive. Economy Square is one of my favourite blocks, I also like Tumblers, Flying Geese, Ohio Star, Windmill, Diamond Square, Christmas Tree and Wild Goose Chase to name a few. You'll find favourites such as pinwheel, log cabin and nine patch. The Stars, Circles, Curves and Flowers section impressed me the most, with Daisy, Electric Fan, Friendship Star and Pictures in the Stairwell as well as other, more contemporary designs. The variations are also very useful. Neat and compact, you can take this book to quilt classes or use it at home. I would have preferred a book that lays flat.
* Karen Platt Yarnsandfabrics.co.uk/crafts *
Dec 13
This book contains enough quilt blocks to keep you quilting for a lifetime! There is a great combination of classic and more modern blocks, plus for many of the blocks they show you a few different variations. The actual book itself is the size of a quilt book which is a quirky idea. At only 6 inches square it is very portable so easy to take to quilting classes and groups. The downside of this is that the text and some of the photos are pretty small and most the templates require enlarging. There is an introductory section with basic quilting and piecing techniques as well as a guide to the abbreviations used in the book. For each block there is a photo of the finished block, cutting instructions for the fabrics and details on how to piece them. There are also 10 projects included in the book to give you ideas of how you can incorporate the blocks into projects other than quilts. Projects include a book bag, pot holder, gadget case, needlebook, craft bag and thread basket. A useful reference guide for quilters.
* Sewing Directory, The *
