True to its promise, this book shows off more than a hundred quilts which are designed for rotary cutters. Youll find a wide range of sizes and styles, from wall quilts to full bed quilts, and from traditional blocks to... well, traditional block variations. None of them are clinkers. lt;br /gt; lt;br /gt;Many quilting books have designs that are all in one mood, even if they dont advertise themselves as such: very floral, or heavy on the "country," etc. Among the many things I like about 101 Fabulous Rotary-Cut Quilts is that it avoids this trap. Youll find everything from pastels to Amish designs to pinwheels. And, while plenty of the designs are scrap quilts, lots of them are NOT. (Im a little tired of instructions that call for 1/8 yard from 32 different fabrics. Can I please make a quilt that uses only 3 or 4 fabrics?! But the point is that, even if you feel differently, youll be as happy with the selection as I will.) lt;br /gt; lt;br /gt;Plus, this book has some of the best quality instructions Ive encountered. In most cases, the instructions all fit on one page, and they are blessedly straightforward. lt;br /gt; lt;br /gt;The authors also recognize that not every quilter gets it right the first time; for example, the "Louisiana" wall quilt Im just finishing advises, "Your blocks may not measure exactly 8.5 inches square when sewn. Cut this strip a little wider, and trim the sashing pieces to size after you piece the blocks, if you wish." I sure appreciate it when a book tells me how to fix the mistakes Im most likely to make! (And why yes, I *did* trim the blocks afterward.) lt;br /gt; lt;br /gt;One additional feature in this book that is much appreciated is the avoidance of the phrase, "Quilt as desired." I often feel that I need guidance on appropriate quilting patterns as much as I do on the piecing design. Fortunately, the book has a section with suggestions for each quilt. Id never have thought up the one they suggested, and Im glad I took their advice. It looks great. lt;br /gt; lt;br /gt;I need to make a wedding quilt for my niece. Theres no question which book Ill turn to first, when it comes to picking a design for such a big project.
Of all the books I own (and there are a lot), this one is the one I bring to bed, every night! It has so much information to learn, its a page turner! This book is THE book to own and no library is complete, without it.
I already have 38 quilt books, patterns and magazines. Ive had to log them on a spread sheet just to keep track so I dont accidently buy repeats. All of the quilt books have great ideas and designs but I see a lot of repetition in them.lt;brgt;This book has some familiar designs but there are also some new (and refreshing) designs which I have not come across before. To the beginner, some of the designs may be a little intimidating with the multitude of pieces, but the ideas are there. Part of the fun of making a quilt is that you can always find ways to personalize the quilt to match what you feel you can handle.
