Tag: Book Review

Quilts Made Modern: 10 Projects, Keys for Success with Color & Design, From the FunQuilts Studio by Weeks Ringle

In general, I like this book. I like it because the tone is kind. I like it a lot more than most project books because the authors weave additional information beyond how to make the included projects their way into the text.

Quilt books seem to be going the way of projects rather than inspiration or catalog books. If that is the wave of the future, then I hope authors and publishers take a page from this work and from books books like 12×12. This book has a lot of very personal aspects. The book starts out with some good advice and a reminder. Weeks Ringle reminds us “how healing a creative hobby can be when dealing with the potholes on the road of life.” Yes, it is project book (perhaps it is time to get over myself about that and just accept the fact that publishers aren’t going to branch out very often with books like 12×12), but Kerr and Ringle took the time to make this more than just a few projects. The book is infused with advice on color. The authors took the time to show and talk about a few color variations for each project. No, they didn’t make all of the quilts, but used line drawings. However, this is not a “my way or the highway” design team. They want the reader to be able to envision their quilts in different colors.

I really enjoyed the two other books, The Quiltmaker’s Color Workshop and The Modern Quilt Workshop by Bill Kerr and Weeks Ringle. I like their work and their writing attitude.

In one of their other books Bill Kerr and Weeks Ringle introduced their concept of “The Big Idea,” which they describe as “an idea, a memory, or a metaphor that serves as the inspiration for your quilt.” They remind us of that. It is the basic piece of their method. I like that they continue to use the same idea in another book. It makes me think it is not a gimmick.

Part of this concept is that the Big Idea is about design. Part of the design process is not to rush it which means that we always need to have something to sew on (e.g. a box of squares to sew together) so you don’t feel like you have to rush through the design process. I like this advice. It is a good reminder

Early in the book, the authors have a section on color theory. The authors use the Johannes Itten Color Star to show what a color wheel does and how it can be used. The Color Star theory is a very sophisticated way of using a color wheel. The Color Stars are really expensive now, but worth buying if you see a deal. They have very good gradations which means you can see the variations in hue, value and saturation very well. They do not fit in with Joen Wolfrom’s Color Play’s theories of color, but one or the other will get you where you need to go. Aside from the “which color wheel do I use theory, Quilts Made Modern color section has definitions of basic words used in color theory. The section includes basic examples of terms such as hue, value and saturation.

Throughout the book, the authors include sidebars and tip boxes in grey, which give more than tips. In the color section, there is a sidebar called “climbing out of a palette rut.” Just the title tells me this is a topic to which I may want to pay attention for my own work: don’t use the same colors all the time. They also ,remind readers that quiltmakers don’t have to wear the fabric, which is very important in terms of color selection. Since a quiltmaker will not be judged on his/her bright orange shirt, orange fabric can be considered to be a viable option for use in a quilt.

Color isn’t the only aspect of design to which we need to pay attention. Scale, figure/ground (also called negative space), proportion and a concept called “engaging the edge” are also addressed. Because many quilt fabrics have pattern, I appreciated that Bill and Weeks included information about scale in their design principles. Color proportion is also covered. This is a concept that quiltmakers don’t see addressed in quilt books very often. Color proportion is the concept of how much of one color to use in relation to the other colors.

Color is included in the design section, which is very long and detailed. I am pretty excited that Ringle and Kerr spent so much time on design and the publisher allowed it. In this section, readers are reminded of all that comprises the design process: color and forms of piecing, color and pattern of quilting along with the texture of the quilting. “Realizing that quilting is an important layer of design will help you be more intentional about the way you quilt your quilt” (pg.21). How often do you think of all of these elements as part of the design process? Me? Never. The section is a good reminder.

The authors also talk about the “More is Better Club” in this section where they remind us that “the trick is figuring out where the line is between lush and overdone.” This leads into their section on developing a palette. Also part of the design section is developing a palette. Kerr and Ringle give an example of a poor palette choice in addition to the other information. It is nice to have authors talk about their learning opportunities.

Another element of this book is a section about understanding fabric. Weeks and Bill talk about how fabric is made, which then leads to a discussion of different types of fabric. This section also includes a discussion of fabric printing technology. The authors have good suggestions for using large scale prints as well. They say “if the motif is on a solid field, then you’ll want to make sure that the pieces you’ll be using are big enough to accommodate the scale of the motif. Collaged motifs, even if they are in big repeats, are easier to use, because the motifs fill the pieces no matter how small.” The section also covers hand-dyes and batiks.

Auditioning fabrics, editing choices, using a design wall and paying attention to the effects of white are all elements of quilt design covered in this section.

By a third of the way through the book, the authors begin talking about design meeting construction. I love the imagery of design meeting construction! You can design whatever you want, but putting it together is a whole different issue. Borders are the first topic addressed and the authors bring up the point that “if a border is not thoughtfully integrated into the design, however, the proportions of the quilt can become visually awkward.”

There is a section of text that discusses pieced backs, which I haven’t seen in a book in this amount of detail. The section runs a few pages and suggests that the quiltmaker can “use up scraps from the front of the quilt” and “add playfulness to the quilt’s overall feel.” (pg.38)

Quilting thread has a prominent role in this book as well – colors, what it adds, changing colors mid-stream, how it works with batting – many aspects that, again, I have not seen covered in books I have read.

Bill Kerr and Weeks Ringle also give a few quilting options, in terms of designs, before they get to the quilt patterns.

The project patterns are well laid out with a clear list of materials for a variety of sizes as well as a *description* of the skill level rather than a number of spools or scissors. This type of description is much more useful than other types of skill indicators. The patterns don’t stop there, though. They weave in color throughout the patterns. Alternate colorways are shown, fabrics not selected for the project are shown and some other mini lessons pertaining to that particular quilt.

For the first quilt, Fashion District, the authors provide an auxiliary design lesson. Their special pearl of wisdom in this case is to point out that “not one of them (talking about fabric) has any white that would read as a hole in the quilt.” (pg. 51)

I find the alternate color ways to be important. They are not pictures of quilts, but computer generated layouts. Still, the reader gets a great idea of how the quilt would look with different fabrics.

In the pattern pages for Loft, they show what the quilt looks like in different sizes (pg.59). Again, the images are computer generated, but the reader gets an idea of the graphicality based on the repeats.

Most of the designs have a bold graphic appeal. While many of the patterns, when broken down into pieceable elements, are simple, the design aspect of many of the patterns making them look more complex.

A nine patch becomes a lesson in transparency (pg.63). A series of carefully pieced rectangles shows how simple elements can look complex (Improv, pg.93). The book also weaves in different techniques for making quilts without giving a dogmatic, my-way-or-the-highway impression of the book. In the Big Dots pattern they talk about using freezer paper to make the circles. They make a brief suggestion about machine applique’, but the preparation also lends itself to hand applique’.

Some of the elements of quiltmaking, which are often difficult to verbalize in books, are mentioned here and there in passing throughout Quilts Made Modern. For the Small Change pattern description (pg.109), Ringle and Kerr talk some about the value derived from a quilt that gets worked on constantly. They say “when you work on a something so long, you gain the added bonus of the many fond memories created during the hours spent quilting.” I find this to be true with my own quilts. I remember DH helping me with the math for the setting of my first sampler and he wasn’t even my DH then!. I remember working with TFQ on the Katrina quilt. I remember laying out all the pieces for the Sweet Harmony bag, taking up a good portion of the hallway, during the week I spent at TFQ’s, what we ate, the fabric stores we visited. I think this is one of the unsung joys of quiltmaking.

Another reason I like this book is that it is not all about one technique. They mix it up: machine piecing with hand quilting, hand applique’, machine piecing and machine quilting. The authors show that you don’t have to do only one technique and they guide their readers through the basics of the techniques included.

There is an obligatory section on how to make a quilt. I won’t go into my usual rant because it would just be a boring repeat. This section not just copied and pasted into the last 30 pages of the manuscript: the authors include their own reasons behind the practices they teach in the book. They suggest that you do not cut 8 layers of fabric at once regardless of how sharp your rotary cutter is. There is a reminder to close your blade guard, which I appreciate, as well as sections on pinning, and a small essay on hand and machine piecing.

In the section on preparing the quilt for quilting, Weeks and Bill suggest measuring “the quilt on both diagonals to ensure that the quilt is square ( the diagonals should measure exactly the same.” (pg.132). This is something I haven’t heard before and should try. I am a little scared to find out how un-square my quilts are! The techniques needed to make all the quilts in the book are covered. They are not covered in excruciating detail, but they are covered to the point where you can make the quilt. I would have liked to have an index so I could find things I wanted to look up. Throughout the book there is the sense that there are many different ways to do things and that it is important to find the method that works best for you.

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The New Handmade: Simple Sewing for Contemporary Style by Cassie Barden

I like this book.

I first heard about from Angela, a fellow BAMQGer who made the Bird-Watcher Messenger Bag and brought it to a Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild Meeting for show and tell. My thought was that some of the projects might make good gifts. I tried to borrow the book from the Library, but they didn’t have it. I finally ended up buying The New Handmade with a gift card. I am glad I did, because I really like the writing style and the projects are interesting and useful as well.

First and foremost this is a project book. I know I often complain about books being all about projects, but the tone of the writing makes it much more palatable. Cassie Barden writes in a friendly and, especially in the back where she lists general instructions, as though her readers are intelligent. In the section on topstitching, Barden writes “Oftentimes I will call for a scant 1/8th inch, which basically means to topstitch very close to the edge. Just how close is often an aesthetic choice, so if you prefer a slightly larger space between the edge and the stitching, do so” (pg.106). I really appreciate that kind of writing, because I have been sewing for awhile and I know my tastes and my skill level. Also, I am not going to be able to hold a ruler while I am sewing close to the edge to measure the 1/8″. I appreciate the added explanation.

It is a very easy read, if you don’t scrutinize every step of every pattern, which I didn’t. I may update this review after I make some of the projects.

The books starts out with a brief introduction and some information on color, inspiration, choosing fabric, and mistakes & modifications. The sections are brief-a couple of paragraphs at most. In the inspiration section, Ms. Barden says “inspiration is everywhere” and I don’t think I can hear that too often. In the mistakes and modifications section, she does perpetuate, which I believe has been debunked, the thought/myth that the Amish intentionally added an error to their quilts because only God is perfect (pg.10). I would have liked to have seen a footnote, if that has not been debunked. Barden has a nice array of fabric illustrating appealing color choices.

I didn’t realize how nice it is to get straight to the projects after only a brief amount of text until I was near the end of the The New Handmade where the general instructions appeared. I was ready to hear what she had to say after getting an idea of her style by looking through the projects. I thought that was a good layout and I applaud Martingale for trying out such an arrangement.

Each project has some brief text about Miss Barden’s inspiration or her thoughts about the project, then there is a list of supplies and the instructions. In some cases, an illustration showing how to layout the pattern pieces on the yardage is also included. Some of the patterns include illustrations on how to execute certain steps and most of the projects include a ‘head shot’ of the completed project. I would have liked to have seen the projects done in an alternate colorway, but there is a New Handmade Flickr Group with lots of great examples of the projects in alternate colorways shown.

Another thing I like about this book are the tip boxes. They explain a concept or technique further. You might remember how annoyed I was with the Amy Butler Sweet Harmony bag pattern, because one of the instructions was to shorten the zipper, but the pattern didn’t actually say how to do that. In The New Handmade, Cassie Barden has a tip box on how to shorten a zipper (pg.53) WITH illustrations and arrows pointing to various important information/steps. The other thing I like about tip boxes is that they stand out from the regular text and project instructions, breaking up the layout of the book. They are not as colorful as C&T’s tip boxes, but they do the trick.

The part about shortening a zipper is also optional. Barden says, in the project materials list for the Evening Essentials Wristlet, “This length may be hard to find in the color you want. You can purchase a longer zipper and follow the instructions in the tip box (page 53) to shorten it.” Again, she is not being dogmatic, but providing options and the tutorial to back them up. I really like that about this book.

The projects on my (very long!) list to make are the Novella Composition Book and the Bird-Watcher Messenger Bag. Both would make great gifts some some of the twenty-somethings I know. I would also like one of the Bird-Watcher Messenger Bag and might modify my journal cover tutorial to feature some of the pockets in the Novella Composition Book project. I kind of like the I {heart} Coffee French Press Cozy, too, but don’t really think I would use it. I don’t drink coffee much, but will think about how I could adapt it for another use. Yoga mat cozy, perhaps? I would definitely make one if I were giving a French Press as a gift.

The Dinner Party Grocery Bag is appealing, but is not on my ‘must make’ list at the moment. It shares a bottom technique with the Bird-Watcher Messenger Bag concerns me. I really prefer making bottoms like Cassie Barden shows in the Flea Market Purse project, which is also how Anna Maria Horner makes a bag bottom in her Multi-tasker Tote pattern. The Dinner Party Grocery Bag and the Bird-Watcher Messenger Bag patterns both require the maker to cut a separate bottom and then sew it on to the sides. This way of making the bottom seems very difficult and a little scary to me! I keep thinking about whether I could modify those two patterns to use the other method. I suppose I should at least try Barden’s method.

I like the pattern layout instructions for the Bird-Watcher Messenger Bag, but I wish that she had included the name of the piece on that layout in addition to the dimensions. Angela gave me her notes, so I wrote the pattern piece names in my book. I think it would have just been a nice additional feature.

In the laptop sleeve, All Business Laptop Sleeve, instructions Ms. Barden includes some helpful measurement information. She writes, on the project introduction page (pg.71) “…though anything more than 1″ wider won’t fit. Instructions for measure and adjusting the pattern for a different sized laptop are found at the end of the instructions.” It is really great that she is providing her readers with the tools to adjust the project to fit their needs. It makes the book so much more useful. People don’t have to pass a project they want to make by, because they don’t know how to adjust the projects to fit their needs.

The general instructions, as I said are at the back of the book and are about 10 pages long. Again, the tone is friendly. She talks about sewing machines, needles and thread, scissors, irons, marking tools and much more. Again, the writing style is not dogmatic and very informational. Throughout the section, Cassie includes personal tips and tricks that work for her. I like the tip to use a sewing and knitting gauge for quick measurements. She also includes some shopping tips, such as (regarding template plastic) “…I recommend giving it a shot, try to find the large sheets, which are commonly found at quilting stores. Craft stores sell the same stuff, but sometimes it’s only available in 8.5×11″ sheets and at several times the cost of the larger sheets” (pg.103).

I think Martingale missed an opportunity to suggest another one of their books on machine applique’ in the section on the same topic. Miss Barden tells the reader how she does her machine applique’, and infers that the reader can choose her own. I think it would have been a great addition to say something like “see X book on machine applique’ for more techniques.”

This book has fun projects and a great writing style. Recommend your Library buy this book, buy the book yourself and let me know what you think.

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Quilter’s Academy Vol. 1–Freshman Year: A Skill-Building Course in Quiltmaking by Harriet Hargrave

I have mixed feelings about this book. The idea is GREAT. I applaud the idea, especially in light of the recent Piecemeal Quilts discussion. There is a lot of good information in the book and I think it fills a need. As an experienced quiltmaker, I was pleased to learn some tips and tricks.

My two concerns are the tone and discussion of fabric. The tone is bossy, very much “my way or the highway” and I am concerned that new quiltmakers, without other local resources, would be overwhelmed by the content and, then, turned off by the tone. I am pretty sensitive to tone, so others may not notice.

I was hooked on the book from page 4 after reading “A Note from Harriet.” She says “…there are many classes taught as projects, but the basic skills needed to really understand the process are severely lacking.” When I read this I thought about the Sampler quilt class I took and how we learned butting seams, matching points, curves, triangles, etc. I am sad that quiltmaking isn’t taught using sampler quilts very much anymore. At some point , I think every quiltmaker would benefit from a Sampler class, but I understand that time is valuable and people are busy.

The book is broken up into classes, which cover everything from setting up an ironing area, sewing machine, selection and presser feet to piecing and binding your quilt.

The sewing machine section is biased towards Bernina machines. While the authors make some valid points about drop in bobbins, they don’t discuss ways around them. I have successfully made quilts on a Janome machine for years.

There are multiple projects in this book. Ironically, the projects are not Sampler quilts. The authors do, however, use the projects well to teach skills, and may use the ideas from Sampler classes in future books. Each project has full directions. It is nice not to have to refer to previous pages to find the basics of one step. I applaud C&T for adding this extra information.

The step outs, drawings, charts and tip boxes are all very well done. They also break up the page, making the information easier to digest.

There is a comprehensive section on rotary cutting which covers the cutter, mats and rulers. The ruler section is expanded to discuss basic sizes, slippage prevention and measuring guides. One major omission is a discussion of the placement of the ruler. There is some discussion about it on page 19, but the extent of it is “align the line of the measurement you desire with the cut edge.” Harriet Hargrave and Carrie Hargrave don’t say anything taking the width of the ruler’s line into consideration. While this might be a picky detail, tricky because of different rulers on the market, and not important, I think it might be worthy of a few paragraphs.

Harriet Hargrave and Carrie Hargrave repeat information in different places where relevant. We don’t learn something the first time we hear it, so the repetition is helpful.

One thing I found helpful was the thread and needle size chart on page 21. They also talk about thread size, which is something I can never hear often enough.

Harriet and Carrie also give a definition for a scant quarter inch and why to use it, which is not only helpful, but also interesting. They give a variety of options for creating a quarter inch seam, which is useful for the wide variety of machines in use.

I like the way the Hargraves talk about the tools. In Class 140, their topic is upgrading a sewing area, a subject quiltmakers start to thinking about when they get a little piecing under their belt. Lighting, irons, ergonomics and useful gadgets are also discussed. The authors mention starch, but don’t mention that some types can attract bugs.

One topic covered that many quilt books skip is drafting. Class 150 covers the foundation of drafting quilt blocks. While I don’t agree with Harriet’s assertion about quilt software, I am glad to see this section included, because I believe that if you can dissect a block, you can piece it. My drafting habits include both graph paper and EQ7.

In Class 120, the authors talk all about fabric. They prepare their fabric in ways that I never have, but may have to try. One tip in this section that gave me pause said, “for beginners, Carrie recommends sticking with safe colors.” (pg.15) In fairness, most of this tip discussed transferance of dye, however I really think the maker should love the colors with which they are working.

There are a lot of good pictures of groups of fabric. In this section the authors’ opinions definitely come through. In Freddy Moran‘s book, Freddy’s House, she uses all dots and bright colors in every quilt. In Quilter’s Academy Vol. 1Freshman Year: A SkillBuilding Course in Quiltmaking, Hargrave says about dots “Dots can add interest, but as with calicoes, too many can become very busy and detract from the design of the quilt. The fewer fabrics your quilt design has, the more important it becomes to limit the use of this type of print. (pg.69) Hargrave likes small prints and suggests their use frequently. She does mention large prints and gives standard observations and advice for using them. I would suggest that readers read this section carefully and consider the advice, but to buy fabric that will be enjoyable to work with and pleasing to the eye.

Harriet Hargrave and Carrie Hargrave include a section on color in this book. I don’t agree with everything they write, but I applaud the inclusion. My main quibble is the style of the fabric. I am a bright and bold fabric kind of girl. I know that the fabrics I love will go out of style or look dated, so perhaps the authors’ choices were picked so the book wouldn’t look dated in a few years. The authors comment that neutrals will enhance any quilt is a bit of a stretch, in my opinion, but if the Hargraves consider red and turquoise to be neutrals in some circumstances, then I am on board with these comments. 😉

Harriet Hargrave and Carrie Hargrave give some basic color terminology and show a color wheel, which in the context of the rest of the book makes the color subject matter not scary.

I really liked the section on value (pg.71), especially the examples of light colors looking medium when placed next to a dark fabric and medium fabrics looking dark depending on what colors/values they are placed near. It is a really important point and one exercise that is good for quilt playtime. You can use scraps to test out this theory.

The authors give good advice about selecting colors in the “Design Elements: Color” section (pg.70). They suggest NOT to assume you have ‘trouble with color’ if you are not happy with your quilt’s end result. They suggest looking at it critically and figuring out what you don’t like before you assume you are not a colorist. They have specific elements to look for that the maker might want to change with future quilts. Hargrave reminds us to trust our instincts, which is very good advice. I think the section above is one of the most important in the book.

I did like the section on precision piecing (nine patch, pg.74). It was really good. The quilt lesson that follows reinforces the precision piecing skills.

I like books where I can look at the pictures and identify the blocks in the quilt examples. Some of the quilt photos in this book are not in high enough resolution to do that. However, the authors have provided a colored line drawing for each block in the various project sections, which is helpful.

I would have liked to have seen the various projects done in an alternate color way (gallery in the back?). I think such a feature would show beginners the variety of possibilities in a single design.

I learned a lot from the border section. The section has good examples on measuring for mitered borders. One thing I read in this section was about choosing types of borders (butted or mitered) (pg.98). The comment made me realize that the authors have sprinkled design advice throughout the book. In lieu of a design section, which might intimidate beginners, the design advice is offered where it is needed. Great feature.

The authors have had a shop and taught for years. Part of their tone seems to be that “this is a job.” One lack in this book is communicating the joy of quiltmaking. Quiltmaking should be fun.

The book could use a glossary and index.

All in all, I think this is very useful book, despite my concerns about tone and fabric. At a minimum there are very useful section that would help any level of quiltmaker hone her skills. At a maximum, a determined newbie could gain good skills from this book. I plan to take a look at Quilter’s Academy Vol. 2 –Sophomore Year: A SkillBuilding Course In Quiltmaking.

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Visual Chronicles: The No-Fear Guide to Creating Art Journals, Creative Manifestos and Altered Books by Linda Woods

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Amy posted a great and enthusiastic review of this book in episode 32 of the Creative Mom podcast. It spurred me on to finally get this out of the library and read it. After reading several pages, I realized that I may have read this book before. It seemed very familiar, but I kept on. The tone of the book is good and I like the idea of two people working together to write the book. It is too project oriented for me, however. I would have liked more inspiration, whys and wherefores of what they do, what they are thinking and more guidance rather than step by step direction. As you know, I don’t need projects. What I really need is a way to be inspired and have no fear on my own journals. I didn’t find that they gave tips for moving on from their book. For art or visual journaling the adage to “Just Do It” doesn’t seem to be working for me.

I asked myself if this was one of the first visual journaling books and found it to be strange that I really needed to know the context of this book.

One of the projects that I thought was interesting was the Personal Palette (pg.13). I like the idea of using shipping tags and making this to use in later work. I found, though, that I was unable to assign colors to people. I talked to my mom about this and asked her what color she associated with herself. She enthusiastically gushed “daffodil yellow.” Then I asked her if she wanted to decorate her house and receive gifts in that color. She was adamant that she did not. Therein lies my dilemma. I really can’t even think of what color I would assign myself.

The authors included a prompt page (pg.35), which did generate an idea for a Creative Prompt response. I ended up not using it (forgot, oops!), but think I may go back and use it again for a second response.

One of the projects is called “My Buttons” (pg.36) and explores the flaws in the maker’s personality. My reaction to that is why? What would this type of project achieve outside of a therapy session?

The end of the book was more my speed. One section (starting on pg.92) talks about changing your routine. I call this “greeting the bus driver.” I have found that small changes do make a difference in my outlook and, as a result, my creativity.

There are a number of things I like about this book. I like the supply lists, the project step outs as well as the design and layout of the book.

I don’t know what I am looking for in these types of books, but I haven’t found it yet.

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Patchwork Souvenirs of the 1933 World’s Fair by Merikay Waldvogel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love history of quiltmaking books because of the stories of the people. This book is one of the reasons I always put labels on my quilts. I also like looking at the old patterns and thinking about people making some of the patterns with crazy angles.

Update 9/20/2010: The University of Nebraska at Lincoln International Quilt Study Center now has a vidcast up that talks about this book and recent discoveries of additional quilts. Merikay Waldvogel narrates the vidcast and shows photos of quilts found after the book was published. She also tells stories and scandals about the makers and the quilts. Well worth a listen. I found it on iTunes.

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Design Explorations for the Creative Quilter: Easy-to-Follow Lessons for Dynamic Art Quilts by Katie Masopust

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This will be one of my go to design books for the future. Starting from the introduction, Masopust includes the reader. The tone is very familiar and in using ‘you’ so much in her writing Katie Masopust involves the reader immediately.

All of the standard design concepts are covered, but with a new twist and a fresh perspective. Katie talks about being creative and then explains the concepts. One thing she says is “creativity is making up exciting rules to follow for a particular design. These rules can change for each quilt,” which is absolutely true. She, then, weaves the design concepts into that principle.

Not only does the author introduce a concept and tell you you should do it, but she tells WHY you should follow the principle. She tells you in a nice and understandable way giving logical and understandable examples. This way of writing makes the whole design process less frustrating and, for some people, less scary.

Ms. Masopust has a whole chapter on tools and supplies. She explains what you need and describes what it is she is asking you to procure. For the visual learner, there are pictures of various tools and supplies.

The composition chapter starts with an excellent definition. She also provides a thoughtful list of compositional layouts. The reader could stop reading right at the compositional layouts and work on variations for years without getting bored.

This section is followed up by a list of other terms related to composition, such as pathways, focal points, space, harmony and scale. Under scale, Katie writes “monotony occurs when everything is the same size.” I thought about this for a long time and realized that one of the things I enjoy about this book is the gems she tucks into almost every section. If the reader took this line and thought about it in relation to his/her quilts, s/he could get a lot out of one line in the book. Of course, by reading the entire book, the quiltmaker will absorb much more.

The words the author uses in the color chapter are wonderful and elegant. They roll off the tongue and make one feel like an artist: monochromatic, achromatic (absence of color), tetrad. She goes beyond value and color and really delves into the concepts behind successful color choices using FABRIC. Pages 15-17 in the color chapter are really useful pages for beginning to advanced quiltmakers as they explain the different types of color combinations.

I love solids. Katie Masopust does not use them in her examples. She uses an interesting range of color choices in, for example, the complementary example. It is also nice to see different types of patterned fabrics used rather than solids. Patterned fabrics are harder to categorize and Masopust does not shy away. This is one of the benefits of this book.

Analysis shows up on page 20. On the page, Masopust writes that “it is important to look at your designs and decide whether they have all the elements needed to make them harmonious.” How often do you look at your quilts and ask yourself whether they are harmonious? I don’t, but perhaps I should. Are you thinking about each decision as you work on your quilt? I do more of that, which may make up for not looking at my quilts after I make them. She also provides a good list of questions about the success of the design. One I like is “is there a focal point or will the focal point be established through color choices?” Thought provoking.

This book is filled with examples of student work, in full color, and a wide variety of exercises. When the reader gets to the making of the pattern, Masopust takes readers through her process of making a pattern, which often involves enlarging the design. She gives some great suggestions for tools to assist in the process. The process described is a step by step process for going from a drawing to a finished piece.

She provides a chapter on each concept and full explores it. The author’s before and after examples are really good, as are the inspiration photos included alongside photos of the finished pieces.

Throughout the book, Katie refers back to the supplies list and concepts in previous chapters. She treats the reader like the reader has a brain and has read other books, which is nice.

The obligatory section on making a quilt is included. Katie Masopust adds to it by offering tips from her own experience. The tips provided also give insight into the kind of teacher she might be. That said, just reading the construction section is a little confusing. I don’t think that is the writing or editing. It would probably make more sense to try it out with a small piece. She mentions setting the machine to “2.” I don’t know if that is a universal number or if I would benefit from a chart or further explanation of what that number means on various machines.

The strength of this book is that it is thought provoking. Little tidbits are tossed out that make the reader stop and think and think some more.

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