Review on Dear Quilty Patchwork Quilts Quilting by Carla Anderson

All of these previously published quilts are designed for the beginner, experienced and confident beginner. But the color combinations, fabric choices, and quilting patterns are good enough to appreciate. There are also bonuses between projects, such as interviews with members of the Fons/Fons and Fons/Fons and Porter empires. It's amazing how many techniques are included here. "Tres Chic" (73.5" x 73.5") stays true to its traditional source of Drunkard's Path; It is an excellent choice for finishing curved seams. "Mod Shape" (64"x80") teaches how to make an applique with fusible fleece. "Amelia" (63" x 73") demonstrates both the solidity and strength required to beat the blues of repetition. (It has many identical aircraft blocks.) However, I don't think some of the instructions are detailed enough, especially for a beginner's book. "Amelia" is a bit sketchy on how to actually make the paper pieces. Elsewhere general information is missing, such as how to process the mass if many diagonal seams are connected. Not to mention how to tie all those dots together! There is no project where 8 seams converge in one place. (I remember pounding the pesky center of my first Lone Star block with an actual hammer.) Speaking of diagonal seams, some other quilts use unusual shapes like parallelograms or diamonds. But there's no diagram of how to put these tricky and stretchy pieces together into a perfectly straight line. Also disappointing is the choice of paper used for the book. It's very matte and takes a lot of the swing out of these bright patchwork quilts. After all, shine deserves some shine. Mary Fons and Team Quilty definitely excelled in selecting designs from Quilty Magazine that appeal to all skill levels and tastes. The style of the projects is fresh and modern, but not too abstract. This is a very good book for those of us who don't have the magazines they came from.