5 comments about Simple Traditions: 14 Quilts to Warm Your Home (That Patchwork Place).

1. Beautiful projects with an old-fashioned look to them. Any quilter would enjoy making them, from a small applique wall hanging to bed quilt size. Something for everyone.



2. I ordered this book from Amazon,& since took a lesson from the author Kim Diehl,have a quilt made from it, she is a delightful person to have a lesson with ,you would not be disapointed if you took from her.
   B.Stratton,avid quilter



3. Simple Traditions: 14 Quilts to Warm Your Home (That Patchwork Place)
   For those of you who love traditional quilts, this might be the ultimate book. There are both pieced and appliqued quilts, and there are pieced quilt centres with beautiful appliqued borders - something for everyone.
   
   As in the other two Kim Diehl books I own, there are full and complete instructions for making your quilt, right from getting started to finishing the quilt and binding it. If I really really had to choose my favourite quilt, it would be Feathered Stars Wall Quilt (52 1/2" x 52 1/2") and I have already had a request from my 5 year old granddaughter to make that for her. I must say she has very good taste!
   
   I know anyone who purchases this book will love it as much as I do.



4. I love Kim Diehl's books. They have beautiful photos. One could spend an afternoon just daydreaming through her books. The patterns for the quilts are easy to read, comprehend, and follow. I highly recommend her books to all quilters.



5. After acquiring Kims previous book, Simple Blessings: 14 Quilts to Grace Your Home,several years ago, they are a 'must have' in my quilting library! Beautifully photographed and presented, Simple Traditions: 14 Quilts to Warm Your Home (That Patchwork Place) continues her wonderful, warm homemaker style. From the simple wallhanging to more elaborate quilt, you will be sure to find something that will have you 'itching to stitch'. For a quilter who collects scraps and smaller cuts of fabric, this book is great! I want to make the whole lot!

2 comments about Easy Reversible Vests.

1. Another of my cherished Foundation piecing books - my second Carol Doak one. What a lovely selection to choose from. I hope vests don't go out of fashion too soon. These are all very special. Vest patterns in a number of sizings and styles are included but the techniques can be used on any pattern you have. Well worth having.



2. I bought this book to use in a class on paper piecing. It's a good intro to paper piecing and the vests are great. There are three major pattern styles--but endless possibilities. I made my Mom's birthday vest from the pattern in this book, and I made a sewing vest for myself out of quilt scraps. These are art vests and if you don't wear vests--they look great hung on the wall too. Carol Doak is clear and accurrate and she doesn't leave out any of the steps. Vests, paper piecing, a creative jumpstart--are all here--what more could you want? Mary Z. Cox the accidental quilter

4 comments about Applique Quilt Revival: Updated Patterns from the 30's (That Patchwork Place).

1. Love this book! Glad to find some old patterns all in one book. I love the 30s materials and patterns. I plan on making all of them! I want more books like this.



2. If appliqué is something you love to do, Ms. Mahoney's book, APPLIQUÉ QUILT REVIVAL, is one you should have in your library. All the quilts are sewn in fabric reminiscent of the 1930's. But if the `30's fabric is not your thing, just update the pattern by using a fabric that will go with your home.
   
   Ms. Mahoney begins this book with a one-page introduction that talks about quilt patterns of the `30s and the colors of that era. This is followed by a 9-page section covering such quilting basics as cutting and squaring blocks, appliqué techniques and embroidery stitches. The final section before the patterns covers assembling and finishing the quilts.
   
   Now the fun begins. 14 patterns for quilts and a table runner are given. Of course, you can always use one block to make a pillow or three to make a wall hanging. Each pattern gives the finished quilt and block size followed by a paragraph about the quilt.
   
   The materials and cutting lists are clearly written. Appliqué and block assembly instructions include graphics to help show what the written instructions tell you. Assembly, finishing and quilting suggestions are the final items in the pattern. And, of course, don't forget the templates are included at full size.
   
   Birds, flowers, rabbits, kitties, baskets, butterflies, horses, cowboys and houses make up the large variety of items to appliqué. There is something for every taste in this wonderful book.



3. This is a fantastic find! A wonderful resource for applique patterns with many helpful tips along the way. As an intermediate quilter and beginner at applique, I'm finding projects galore here. It's presented in a clear, concise format with beautiful illustrations. The peony garden and tulip blocks are my absolute favorites followed closely by the fandango basket arrangement.
   
   This would be a great gift for any quilter...so treat yourself or someone you know to some applique inspiration.



4. I really enjoy this book. Well written and informative. Patterns are such that you can make as illustrated or edit the design by omission as desired.

4 comments about Calendar Kids: Handprint Quilts Through the Year.

1. Our elementary school is celebrating 50 years of learning this year. We are in the process of creating a commemorative quilt to be hung in the school. The ideas in this book are outstanding! Instead of designing the squares ourselves, we selected areas of learning for each classroom and asked the children to submit their ideas. The outcome was incredible. The committee plans to use the ideas in this book to embellish childrens' handprints for the classroom squares designed by the students.



2. I remember making "hand turkeys" as a craft project in Kindergarten. I was so proud to bring it home to Mom. Now you can go back to your childhood with Marcia Layton's book "Calendar Kids".
   
   With a little bit of paint, some fabric and a small child, you can make wonderful quilts. Aww heck - why not a big child??? Use your own handprints! Either way, this book gives you ideas for quilts to make for every month of the year. Make seasonal quilts - like the four seasons; make a whole year quilt - something for each month of the year or use your imagination and make themed quilts such as beach or a Christmas quilt. Anyway you choose to do it you will have a quilt full of memories.
   
   The first twelve pages give you all your basic instructions such as the best way to create the handprint itself and then ideas on embellishments and how to finish the quilt. Then come the quilts themselves. Each quilt, of which there are a Baker's Dozen, has a color photo, a materials list, fabric measurements, which handprint block to use and the best way to put the quilt together all the way through to finishing it.
   
   There are "Special Design Tips" scattered throughout the book to give you some extra ideas on using the handprints to make other themes for the quilts. There is a four page gallery of quilts which will add even more ideas to your list of "want to makes". Whether you make the quilts as a project to include your child or grandchild or make them as a memory quilt using your own hands, they will be ones full of memories to keep forever.



3. This was a great book to extend handprint artwork from our Kindergarten class towards a quilted school auction project. We were unable to find the novelty prints for each handprint picture, but the pictures in the book gave us inspiration for solid colors to use in our project. The pictures and design ideas were great ideas for handprints on paper too.
   However, instructions on detailing included using glue before assembling the pieces within the quilt. It would have been better to assemble the quilt, quilt some areas, THEN glue items such as rick-rack and google eyes. The rick-rack was difficult on some machines to quilt through or around; the google eyes did not do well with the ironing required during quilt assembly.



4. This book has so many fun ideas. My granddaughter and I had a wonderful time making a quilted wall hanging.

5 comments about Points of View: Landscape Quilts to Stitch and Embellish (That Patchwork Place).

1. If you love making quilted landscapes or are interested in learning how to make them, this is a great book. You learn easy as well as a little more advanced ways to make them. You learn how to look at fabric and see possiblilites in it that you had never seen before. Follow the patterns and techniques to make your own piece of art and then check out the gallery in the back of the book. Amazing! I had made landscapes before getting this book, but I have learned so much more from it.
   Kay S.



2. Points of View is a wonderful book, rich in detail and information, and gorgeous photos of Valerie Hearder's quilts. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to do landscape quilting. Valerie's "viewfinder" idea for finding your correct section of fabric is great, the instructions are clear and easy to follow to make your version of each type of quilt.



3. In Points of View, Valerie outdoes her first book, Beyond the Horizon. She includes many more techniques and hints, along with gorgeous pictures of her work and that of others. It's a book to get lost in. Easy to translate the written word into real life works and be pleased with the results!



4. This is an excellent book for a beginner to practice landscape quilting.
   The simple techniques that you can try will encourage you to then design and make your own landscape quilt.



5. This book is great! Easy to understand instructions and inspiring ideas to boot! I've made several mini quilts using the concepts presented. It's one of my favorite books in my quilting collection!

5 comments about Follow-The-Line Quilting Designs: Full-Size Patterns for Blocks and Borders (That Patchwork Place) (That Patchwork Place).

1. Follow-the-line-quilting Designs Volume Two: Full-size Patterns for Blocks And Borders is a quick way to get started on your quilting. The full-sized pattern allows you to "try it out" by laying it on your quilt for fit, but it also can be "resized" (by eye or copier) to fit your space. I found her diagrams with numbers to be extremely helpful. Once I finger-traced a few times, I was all set. Clipping the template where I could see it allowed me to visually track. (I do free motion quilting and use her patterns as a starting point.) I especially liked her block and corner motifs which accompany each border. Finally, by meandering her border designs, you can create an "all-over" design. This is a great resource. My only "complaint" is that I wish the box were a bit larger, as once the templates are unfolded, they do not fit back into the box.



2. I love this book. Though it's not really a book. Each of the patterns are a separate leaflet that fit inside the paper box package. I snipped the cellophane at the top of the package to keep the box sturdier. I really like that I don't have to mess with the bulk of a book. Also, for those who quilt professionally each of the patterns can be used up to 10 different times for retail without violating copyright. I found the patterns refreshing and different. Mary also shows you using numbers the direction to go. I especially found it helpful on the fan pattern, It made it so much more fluid. I will be recommending it to my machine quilting students. Excellent buy!



3. Between the instructional booklet and all the patterns for quilting a quilt, you will have all the information you need to complete your quilt in FOLLOW-THE-LINE QUILTING DESIGNS. The booklet that comes with the patterns explains how the quilt designs are laid out and defines the markings found on each pattern.
   
   As any quilter knows, sizing patterns are not the easiest thing to do but Ms. Covey has provided areas where you can lengthen or shorten a pattern with ease. If that is not the option you want to take, you can use her suggested Quilter's Assistant Proportional Scale and then make photocopies to the size you want.
   
   Marking - which way to go. There are pens, pencils, tape, chalk or even a no-mark method. Read over the options and choose the one that works for the quilt you are doing. Don't forget the 3 B's of finishing ---- backing, batting and basting. The pages devoted to these will make this an easy job. And finally, will you quilt by hand, machine or long-arm? The suggestions given here will make this part of finishing the quilt easier too.
   
   The patterns come in a plasticized package. There are 19 designs from a farm to baby to geometric designs to name a few. You should be able to find one to fit the theme of your quilt. They come in corners, blocks and borders so every place you need a pattern, you will have one that is made for that area and since the designs are all in continuous-line motifs, you will not have to stop until you are finished! Happy Quilting.



4. I recently bought a long-arm so of course I "needed" more patterns. I bought her first and second book/box of patterns, and friends bought me this 3rd set. The border patterns work well as pantographs on the long-arm and there are matching "block" and "triangle" motifs for each design. Each one has a nice variety of patterns - curvey, geometric, for kids, floral, etc... This 3rd set is definetly more challenging than the previous sets.



5. Mary M. Covey's FOLLOW-THE-LINE QUILTING DESIGNS V. 3: FULL-SIZE PATTERNS FOR BLOCKS AND BORDERS is not so much a book as a box of patterns for tracing, transferring and stitching, presented in full size for easy use. Twenty new pattern groups including designs for blocks, borders and setting triangles and can be used on a regular home sewing machine or by hand alike - as well as on a long-arm quilting machine for professionals. An outstanding, flexible guide.

2 comments about More Fabulous Flowers: Mini-quilts in Dimensional Applique (That Patchwork Place).

1. This book will keep you busy for many, many days/nights to come. The flowers are fabulous to look at but at the same time they are very time consuming.
   
   The book begins with an introduction to what dimensional flowers are all about, followed by a tools and supplies section to show you what you will need to create them. A 3-page basic quilting section is next and a 9-page section covers how to make the different flowers.
   
   There are 20 projects that include flowers made from Prairie Points, made by ruching and made by strip-piecing. Each pattern shows a color photo of the finished project along with the finished size. A short paragraph about the project begins the pattern instructions. A materials list, making the quilt top, making the flowers and finishing the quilt are the sections that make up the whole pattern. There are some graphics to help explain the written instructions and full sized templates if needed.
   
   There is a 3-page gallery of quilts made with these flowers and a page on where to find the resources. The final page is a two-paragraph bio about the author. If you are into detail, this is the right book for you.



2. Ifine the directions good; they do not leave you guessing about what to do next, the book is attractive illustrated. But the projects are rather small. Howevery you can make them larger to suit yourself. The flowers can also be add to a picture quilt.

5 comments about Bits and Pieces: 18 Small Quilts from Fat Quarters and Scraps (That Patchwork Place).

1. I love it when I can find 2 or even 3 projects from a book that make it on my 'to do' list - but out of the 18 I would say that at least 12 have made it! Great quilts - great color combinations - and quick to finish. A+



2. The instructions in this book allowed me to make beautiful small quilts from my "stash" without buying more fabric. However, one could certainly buy fat quarters to make small quilts with a more organized palate. The directions were clear, with lots of pictures. I loved the book and highly recommend it.



3. I had bought a bunch of fat quarters and no idea what to do with them. A friend said she had the perfect book/quilt/wallhanging for them. She brought her book and I was off and running to find the book. It will be perfect. The book arrived very quickly and in perfect condition. Thanks for having such fun quilt patterns and easy to understand and follow directions.



4. This is a terrific book, full of well illustrated original ideas for producing individual quilts making use of your existing stash (and avoiding the mass-produced look of so many similar books). I have been quilting for many years, but found a number of new ideas in this volume and will certainly be making more than a few of the designs. Interesting for the experienced quilter, the instructions, diagrams and photographs are of such high quality that beginners should also have no problems here - also the small sizes are very attractive to those wanting a quick project or not yet confident enough to face a big quilt. Another plus is that the book is honest about how many fabrics you need to get the desired effect - so often in books the instructions say '5 assorted fat quarters' but when you look at the photo you can count 14 different fabrics. Not so here - what you see is what you get the instructions for. A recent addition to my extensive quilting library, this is already one of may favourite books. A winner from cover to cover.



5. This is a wonderful book full of nice patterns for small wallhangings. Wonderful instructions and nicely laid out. It's become one of my favorite quilt books and I have made about half of the projects in the book already.

4 comments about Quilts On The Double: Dozens of Easy Strip-Pieced Designs.

1. By the time I had gotten to the second page of this book, I was HOOKED. I thought "Finally, someone who makes quilt blocks easy AND they can be put together in so many ways". This will be a book that our guild can use over and over as we make our charity quilts for Habitat for Humanity and Love and Hugs.
   
   The book shows 15 quilts but I'm going to bet that those 15 are just the tip of the iceberg with what can be done with these easy to make blocks. Showing how the basic block is made takes only one page to explain while in depth directions follow. Six pages show various ways to put the blocks together to make different designs. The authors include a section on choosing fabrics and explaining about fat quarters and their equivalents. They show fabric values and how one color can be many shades.
   
   While you can make many, many designs with the basic block, the authors add another color triangle to the basic block which really gives you lots of possible designs. By cutting the triangles for each quilt, you will have pieces left over to make another one, thus the name, QUILTS ON THE DOUBLE. There are directions for making only one but if you are spending the time to cut for one, why not have pieces cut for a second without having to spend extra time to do it?
   
   Each quilt is shown finished and its size is given. The materials list shows what is needed for making one or both. Cutting and finishing instructions are clear and graphics show what the directions are talking about. Finishing is left up to the maker. Quilting basics are covered for a new quilter or to refresh your memory if needed. And the final page gives a bit about each author.



2. One of the best ideas I have seen. Can't wait to have a go at making the quilts in this book.



3. This is not just a book about variations in color and/or fabric style. The quilts you can design using the simple (yes, really simple) sewing and cutting methods are so varied that it's hard to believe they came from just 2 strips sewn together. The design possibilites remind me of the many ways there are to set together log cabin blocks; the difference here is that by beginning with 2 different sizes of strips sewn together,you end up with blocks that look really different from one another. You'll have top triangles, tail triangles and side triangles. And then the fun of designing begins.
   The book has very clear and detailed instructions, many illustrations, and advice for using prints, solids and stripes. (There is a great section on the specifics of using striped fabric successfully, something I've struggled with before.) Bravo to the authors for giving us all access to this great design concept!



4. Judy Hooworth and Margaret Rolfe's QUILTS ON THE DOUBLE offers dozens of easy strip-pieced quilt projects which tell how to convert one group of strip sets into two quilts. Easy eight-block pieces and fat quarters offer opportunities for literally dozens of designs. An excellent addition to any quilting library.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

5 comments about The Creative Pattern Book: Complete Patterns, Intriguing Ideas & Musings on the Creative Process.

1. The text in Judy Martin's Creative Pattern book is extremely well written and is very easy to understand. Every quilter should read the 7 Secrets of Sewing Success in this book. Judy's book inspires the quilter to have the confidence and knowledge to create a quilt. The Creative Pattern Book is a well organized book with lovely color and includes 12 patterns of quilts. Each of the 12 patterns have several variations showing details of the fabric, color and quilting. This book is one that you will use often as it has everything you want in a quilt book.



2. I've been a sewer for years and have just begun quilting. I've purchased several "how to" and pattern books by different authors in order to get a feel for the quilting and design process. Judy's book is THE BEST. It is very readable and all instructions are clearly written. Her tips on cutting and sewing pieces THAT FIT TOGETHER are easy and logical and make the piecing process foolproof. Her approach truly does empower a quilter. Hats off!



3. Finally, a quilt book that makes perfect sense! Of all the quilt books I've bought, this is the first one I sat down & actually read cover to cover. Judy Martin wrote this book in plain English & all of the questions I had were answered & understandable. This book has changed the way I quilt!



4. Finally, a quilt book that makes perfect sense! Of all the quilt books I've bought, this is the first one I sat down & actually read cover to cover. Judy Martin wrote this book in plain English & all of the questions I had were answered & understandable. This book has changed the way I quilt!



5. Finally, a quilt book that makes perfect sense! Of all the quilt books I've bought, this is the first one I sat down & actually read cover to cover. Judy Martin wrote this book in plain English & all of the questions I had were answered & understandable. This book has changed the way I quilt!