Quiltmaking for Beginners

Written for beginner quilters, this book is an excellent basic course in quiltmaking, with emphasis on fundamentals. It does not attempt to show everything about quiltmaking, but concentrates on the key tools and procedures needed to begin constructing quilts, with a step-by-step approach and in a sequence that helps practice good technique, perfect skills and build confidence.

The book begins with two introductory sections on quiltmaking terms and tools. Chapter 1 explains the basics of fabric and color selection, which can later be seen applied throughout the rest of the book, with "color clues" given for each quilt pattern to help in selecting fabrics and colors. This in itself is worth the price of the book for beginners who might feel apprehensive about selecting fabrics on their own!

Chapters 2 and 3 explain the basics for making piecework blocks, with very good illustrations of how the patterns are created (drafting) and then translated from drawings into stitched pieces of cloth. This leads into Chapter 4 (the largest section of the book), with ten pieced projects. Side-by-side illustrated instructions for both hand and machine piecing are given for each project, arranged in order of increasing challenge but well within the reach of a beginning quilter. Each project teaches a new technique, working with:

* straight lines
* squares
* half-square triangles
* quarter-square triangles
* split square triangles
* parallelograms and setting-in shapes
* 45º diamonds and an eight-pointed star
* 60º angles and diamonds, hexagons, and triangles
* curved seams, and
* wedges

In Chapter 5 quilters are introduced to appliqué, with information on different approaches to this style of quilt. Two appliqué projects are given to practice may of these techniques. 

The remaining chapters (6-10) focus on how to transform quilt blocks into a complete block, using block settings, sashings, and borders, and learning how to prepare the quilt for quilting. The basics of hand and machine quilting are explained, with simple yet excellent illustrations to guide the way. The last chapter focuses on what has often been my pet peeve about what lacks in many quilting books: binding and labeling.

And it doesn’t end there! In addition to the ten pieced and two appliqué projects, there is an additional appendix with instructions for two sampler quilts -- one pieced and the other appliqué. The book ends with a second appendix that contains a good resource list of products, an excellent bibliography, and full-size templates for the projects given in the book.

To put it simply, the excellence of this book can be summed up in:

* Complete patterns for ten pieced, two appliqué, and two sampler quilts, designed for beginners
* Hand and machine instructions presented side-by-side
* "Color clues" for each quilt to help in selecting colors and fabrics
* 70 color photographs of quilts, fabrics, and tools, and over 200 color drawings that illustrate the techniques.

* Paperback: 160 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.49 x 11.00 x 8.67
* Publisher: McGraw Hill