book review:Pretty Little Mini Quilts

Hardcover:144 pages
Publisher:Lark Books;1 edition (March 2,2010)
Language:English
ISBN-10:160059493X
ISBN-13:978-1600594939

There is quite an eclectic mix of small quilting projects in this book and after having spent several days flipping through it and reading through all the projects I’m still not sure who the books audience is supposed to be.   It opens with a short 20 page chapter on the basics that covers tools,materials and techniques such as hand stitching,borders,basting,quilting and binding.  With only 20 pages to cover these techniques there’s no in depth instructions and beginners may need to search out more detail instructions on some of them.  The quilts range in subject and technique and you’ll find everything from quilts based on traditional blocks and patterns to embroidered quilts,painted quilts,a dress shaped quilt made from recyled fabrics and papers,and one that uses a computer printed image on fabric.  There’s also a project that doesn’t quite fit the description of a quilt since it uses no middle layer and is stapled to a wooden frame that you make yourself using a handsaw/mitre box and wood glue.

Every project in this book won’t appeal to every reader because there is such a wide range of styles and techniques represented.  Each project is accompanied by a photo of the finished quilt and there are a few that have close up shots as well but there are no additional diagrams to accompany the written directions which may make some of these projects difficult to duplicate for beginners.