1 comments about Easy Mix & Match Machine Paper Piecing.

1. This book has many paper piece patterns that could make up any hundreds of quilts. The book has many colorful pictures of quilts finished for inspiration. I have made several quilts using this book and still go back to it often. I would recommend this book to beginning and veteran paper piecer's.

5 comments about The Tale Of Alice's Quilt (That Patchwork Place) (That Patchwork Place).

1. The "Tale of Alice's Quilt" is a charmingly positive story about generosity and care that works on many levels. The author uses a true story of a quilt made over two generations to knit present and past people together. She shows the reader the connections between the young and old and the continuous fabric of life and family in a way that a young reader can appreciate. Although I will not be making the quilt myself, it seems to be clearly laid out in the back of the book. I do enjoy going to quilt shows frequently and will see quilting in a new light after reading this memorable and uplifting tale.



2. This is a beautifully told, gentle story that captures the wonder and sense of kinship a young person can experience through the discovery of an ancestor who is brought back to life through memory and the gift of something left behind. In this book the gift takes the form of the pieces of a quilt started by one young Alice many years before the birth of another Alice--her great-niece. The second Alice decides to finish the quilt and learn of the life of her great-aunt who died at the age of twelve. The work on the quilt and what she decides to do with it when it's completed would warm anyone's heart, but the fact that the tale comes from actual events in the author's life makes it even more poignant. And an added gift to the reader: the instructions for making the beautiful butterfly quilt that connects the two Alices.
   I've greatly enjoyed Jennifer Blomgren's other children's books, but I think this is my favorite. It's the first that includes her own lovely watercolor illustrations and can be treasured by absolutely any age group.



3. This is a charming story for young girls about making connections across generations. Alice's discovery of pieces of an old family quilt leads her to meet new people and create closer ties with her own family, past and present. This book would make a great gift for children and grandchildren of quilters!



4. This is a historic tale of a Butterfly quilt and the little girl who made it. Any young child will enjoy this book but even if you're not 13, you will enjoy the historical details of the quilt's story.
   
   This is a story of a young girl who never lived to be a teenager but who had a talent for sewing. She never got to put the squares together to complete the quilt and they got passed down the generations until they caught one little girl's attention.
   
   She joined a quilting group of older ladies and learned how to make these historic squares into a quilt. She also learned about the little girl that made them through letters to her uncle. For both the uncle and the little girl, it was a trail of memories and learning what other generations did.
   
   When the quilt was completed, it was hers to keep. But did she? Read THE TALE OF ALICE'S QUILT to find out . But don't stop there. The book also contains the pattern for the very quilt the story is all about. It includes the template for the butterflies, the material and cutting list and how to do the appliqués. The instructions for putting it all together are easy to follow with plenty of graphics to help you along.



5. I happily read the book straight through. This tale gently connects a young teen to her people in the not too distant past. A delightful yarn that left me in a dream-like state reminiscing of my own grandmother sharing the stories of her childhood. Ah, if only the old quilts could talk. The author has pulled together many scraps of stories to give a voice to one Oregon quilt and inspires us to find out more about our own family stories. The real tips neatly included remind us to teach our young people what we know. We would all benefit to have a caring relative to pass forward the stories of each generation. Everyone deserves to have their own Uncle Bobbie to buffer the rapid change of today's world. Ms. Blomgren reminds us to reach out with her lovely story of fiction based on fact. The book concludes with full instructions to make the butterfly quilt should you be moved to create your own piece of Americana history.

No comments about Jacket Jazz: Five Great Looks...over 30 Patchwork Techniques/Book, Patterns and Templates.

2 comments about From the Cover: 15 Memorable Projects for Quilt Lovers.

1. It's a pleasant-enough book to get from the library and look at for 15 minutes, but I don't think it's worth the price to buy. These are one-of-a-kind quilts from the covers of Quilter's Newsletter Magazine and I can't imagine anyone wanting to replicate these patterns.



2. Quilter's Newsletter has always impressed me with the eye-catching quilts on its covers. However,the patterns inside are typically the more simplilstic, run-of-the-mill design so I was anxious to have access to construction details for some of the more stunning cover quilts. The book did not live up to my expectations.
   
   The first 22 pages of the book are devoted to a tedious history of the magazine. Of the 15 patterns included, only three or four are of the artistry and caliber that I had come expect from a QNM cover and hoped to use as inspiration for my own designs. In addition the instructions and color placements are difficult to follow. For these reasons I feel the book is an overpriced collection of 15 patterns.

3 comments about Square Dance: Fancy Quilts from Plain Squares.

1. I am amazed at how Martha Thompson can teach you to take simple squares and turn them into these incredible quilts! And it is SO EASY! My entire quilt guild was enchanted by the wallhanging I made IN ONE EVENING! This book is the favorite of my collection!



2. I teach quilting classes for Irvine Valley Community College and found this book for my new fall semester class. I ordered 7 books today and some students are ordering their copies from Amazon. It is a fun project and even beginners can make it. We were able to find a templet to help with the cutting. I recommend this for a fun class.



3. This book is incredible! You can make really cool quilt projects using straight seams. If you can sew a straight line you can make these pinwheel quilts. It is practically goof-proof! Directions and instructions are clear and easy to read. Your only limitation is your imagination. It is hard to find since it is out of print, but once you get it you will love it. Even beginning quilters can do these projects!

2 comments about Treasures Underfoot : Quilting With Manhole Covers - Round 2.

1. I also own MacGregor's first book. The quality of the paper in the second book dramatically enhances the presentation of the manhole covers and quilts. Though I am not a quilter, this book can still be appreciated for its artistic and cultural richness. In fact, I have a custom made stain glass piece hanging in my living room, with the design from one of the manhole cover patterns in the first book. I like the geographic descriptions of the cities and towns around Japan, having visited a few in the past. The colors in her book are spectacular, and I love the way she has shown different interpretations of each pattern. All in all, this book makes me want to visit every manhole cover in it!



2. Several years ago I reviewed the first book of manhole cover quilts, finding it the most unique collection of quilt designs I'd seen in a long time. The premise of that book, and its successor collection, Treasures Underfoot, is the translation of the many municipal manhole covers of Japan into fiber art. The Japanese make something of a fine art of designing coverings for the holes in their streets and sidewalks, and each community takes great pride in its contribution to the genre. MacGregor's extension of the idea was to get these designs off the street and into quilts, and she enlisted the talents of quilters world-wide to assist her. In this beautifully-produced and self-published volume, MacGregor features dozens of new manhole cover designs, along with thumbnails of the communities that created them. Each one is then enriched by interpretation by a quilter and a rendering in fabric. Some of the interpretations try to be true to the original design, while others use elements of the design as inspiration for something new. Either way, the result is beautiful and fascinating. The book does not include projects with detailed instructions, but there is enough information and illustration to make it possible for any quilter who chooses to try her hand at one of these round treasures. And this is one of the best introductions to Japanese culture that I know! Kudos to Shirley MacGregor for making this volume even richer than the last.

No comments about Start With Squares: Speedy Square Piecing for Scrap Quilts.

4 comments about Quilter's Happy Hour: 11 Quilts With Cocktail Recipes (That Patchwork Place) (That Patchwork Place).

1. This is one of the best quilt books I've seen in such a LONG time! Way to go Lori in coming up with something fresh and new!



2. This a wonderful book put together by a quilter who is also a talented teacher as well.
   
   The author will inspire you to use interfacing techniques for appliqué by sharing her methods with chapters that are clearly written, step-by-step instructions, lots of pictures, and great tips. This is a great guide for all quilting levels, beginners to those who need a refresher. You will be very proud of your end results.
   
   In addition, the recipes are great to share with your quilting friends.



3. Now here is a combination I would never have put together, quilts and alcohol! Quilts and chocolate were the two I usually associate with quilters, not alcohol.
   
   BUT the quilt projects are very nice! They are appliqué (something I LOVE) and paper piecing (not a favorite of mine). The author explains her way of doing appliqué using interfacing. Give it a try if you have always wanted to do appliqué but never got the results you wanted.
   
   There is, of course, the general techniques of quilting explained before getting into the patterns. Each quilt's name is that of an alcoholic drink except for the last two which are non-alcoholic. Eleven patterns in all, each with a color photo to start you off. The finished quilt and block size are also given.
   
   The next thing you find is a recipe for the drink. Then you get to the project itself. A materials and cutting list is given, along with step-by-step well written directions that include graphics to show the details of the steps. Templates are provided if needed for the project. And, finally, there is a page that gives a bit of information about the author.



4. Lori Buhler's QUILTER'S HAPPY HOUR: 11 QUILTS WITH COCKTAIL RECIPES uses machine-stitched applique to create complex curved designs in 11 colorful quilts. Cocktail recipes pair with these designs for added impact. An excellent addition to any quilting library.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

2 comments about Innovative Piecing (Rodale's Successful Quilting Library).

1. If you have any interest in learning new ways to make your quilts interesting and original, this is the book for you. It gives clear, full-color directions on techniques like skewed piecing, super-easy Drunkard's Path blocks, jigsaw piecing, and curved piecing done several ways (with templates, with rotary-cut gentle curves, with topstitching, and sharp curves with register marks.) It is great to use with batiks and hand-dyes, or with your more unusual prints. I can hardly wait to get started!



2. Made big points getting this for the wife as a Valentine's Day gift. Her girlfriends were impressed.

1 comments about Quilting Through Life: Projects for the Mind, Body, And Soul (That Patchwork Place).

1. Julia Teters-Zeigler's QUILTING THROUGH LIFE: PROJECTS FOR THE MIND, BODY, AND SOUL advocates learning relaxation techniques through quilting. Ten lovely traditional quilt patterns accompany recipes for baths, ideas for enjoyment of life, and insights on how to use quilting to reclaim lost time. Easy patterns and colorful, practical results inspire.