Welcome to the first Book Review Tuesday. Just some initial details in case you missed last week’s introduction…
When: Book Review Tuesday will be hosted here every second week (initially for 1 year).
Content of the Post: A book review and a project will be made from the week’s selected book.
Give-away: Each post will include a give-away of that book, winners will be announced the following week ~8pm.
Review
Title: “The Practical Guide to Patchwork” – New Basics for the Modern Quiltmaker
Author: Elizabeth Hartman
Publisher: Stash Books
ISBN: 978-1-60705-008-7
This was the first book I purchased, last year, when I first started to be interested in Modern Quilting. I was looking for a good reference book, basics for quilting techniques and really just a place to get started.
The Practical Guide to Patchwork definitely provided the basic information I was looking when starting out, such as:
- How to choose machine needles
- Basic quilting techniques
- How to make and sew binding
The book project layout is well done. It starts off with beginner projects, and moves projects for confident beginners to intermediate projects. There are several projects I am interested in making from this book, but not all as quilts; Small Plates, Valentine, Kitchen Window and lastly Sunspot. My favorite part of each project is the last section, which provides alternate ideas and additional fabric options. It offers just that little more inspiration by saying “Hey, what about this or that” and gets you thinking about the possibilities of the blocks provided.
This book focused mostly on quilt designs, that use a single block repetitively. I would have liked to have one or two of the projects, in the book focus on non-repetitive block quilts. As a beginner, this would have provided more introduction options into modern patchwork.
This book is great book, if you are looking for a good reference book for quilting techniques or looking for easy to medium quilting projects. It would be a great Christmas gift for a new quilter or a great donation to a school/local community library.
My rating out of 5 is:
Project
The project I chose, from the book, was the Sunspot block. I actually started this project last year. It was my first patchwork block for what I was planning to be, a Christmas table runner. The instructions were easy to follow. I enjoyed the idea of making the angles within the block. I really liked how the block turned out.
For this review, I decided to go with my original plan. I re-purposed that block, and cut it in 1/2 to make Christmas place mats for this year. Here are the completed place mat tops, using that one block.
Fabric: Dear Mr. Claus, Robert Kaufman’s Essex Yarn Dyed Linen in Red/Olive, White Kona Skinny sashing.
Size: 14″ x 18″
Do you have projects made from this book? If you have a project link it up.
Give-away
One brand new copy of this book will be given away next Tuesday. All you need to do is leave a comment on why you would like the book. A second chance to win if you are a follower, just leave a second comment indicating you follow. A winner will be chosen at random and posted next Tuesday around 8 pm.
Next Book Review: “Brave New Quilts”.
Upcoming books will include: 500 quilt blocks, Quilting Happiness, Modern One-Block Quilts, Urban Views, Modern Bee.
A disclaimer, all reviews and opinions of the books reviewed will be mine, unless otherwise stated.
Factotum of Arts 
1. I’m a follower of your blog,
2. I would really like this book because I’m always looking for new ways to do things. I also am a beginner quilter, working on being intermrdiate, and this book divides projects that way.
3. I love reading all quilting books and magazines and learn something from everything I read.
4. I’m a follower via email.
5. Very cool Michelle, should be a fun series!
6. I have a niece that is starting her first quilt, it would be a great resource for her.
7. I follow via bloglovin.
8. I would love to win this book for myself, it sounds like great source for inspiration.
9. such a great idea – I love hearing reviews of sewing books – thanks! And I love your Christmas blocks.
10. I learnt quilting from this book so it has a special place in my bookcase:) I have made 2 quilts from this book now.
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11. Thanks for such an honest review of this book! I’ve heard it is a good reference book, and that’s why of love to win it! I like the projects you show as well. Fabulous way to repurpose such a nice block!
12. I follow your blog by email!
13. Being still pretty much a beginner at quilting, I would love to have a copy of The Practical Guide to Patchwork. I’ve known how to sew since I was a little girl, but have never had a class or anything in quilting. Thanks for the chance to win!
14. I follow your blog via Bloglovin’.
15. Gorgeous book – I would LOVE to win because I am a person who needs patterns to follow and there are so many lovely ones in here!!!
16. Yay – I am an email follower! Great book review – fingers crossed!!
17. I consider myself a begginer quilter but love to improve my skills.
18. I follow with Bloglovin already.
19. This looks great. I would love this book because i have been sewing for less than 2 years and still consider myself a beginner. I really like the last section that you mentioned showing different colour ways with the patterns, it always helps to be able to visualise things in a different perspective.
20. I would like this book as you said it has easy to medium level of difficulty and that is where I am at in quilting. I have been a traditionalist but the more recent modern quilts have been growing on me and I am thinking of trying some.
21. I would like it because I don’t have any modern quilting books.
22. I follow through feedly.
23. I’m new enough to quilting to still have some super basic questions that aren’t very easily google-able! A good book with lots of basics would be perfect ♥ Thanks for the book reviews! I was so excited when I saw you’d be doing this series, I really want to expand my library c:
24. I follow you via Bloglovin ♥♥
25. I love Elizabeth’s work and I’d love to try modern quilting for myself!
26. I follow you via email
27. I’m embarking on a “what’s the right way to do this?” quest. I’ve just sort of been figuring things out on my own for too long. I think it’d be rest to see how this book explains process and compare it to what I’m learning from other sources. And pretty books are fun to look at when I can’t get to my machine!
28. I follow you! So excited you started book reviews.
29. Thanks for the book review. I just placed a hold order on that book from the library. You’ve confirmed my suspicions that it is a book I need to have in my collection. Thanks!
30. I just signed up to follow your blog; I got here from the Boy Stuff blog-hop and found your review. Since I review books for my local quilt guild, I am delighted to find your post. I will look forward to it weekly!
31. I’d love this book because I am a beginner to intermediate quilter and could use all the help and inspiration I can get!
Thanks for the chance.
32. I am a follower. 🙂
33. I follow via bloglovin:-)
Thanks for the chance, Jessica
juceyj03@gmail.com
34. I really enjoy quilting books because I’m new to quilting so I learn a lot from books. I love finding new projects to try and being able to have the pattern explained well!
Thanks for the chance, Jessica
juceyj03@gmail.com
FINGERS CROSSED 🙂
35. I love Elizabeth’s work and have her second book. This one has been on the wishlist for a while 🙂
36. I would love this book as I am still a begineer in many ways and can always learn new things
37. I follow your blog via bloglovin
38. I’ve borrowed this book a few times from the library. Would love to have my own copy though:)
39. I follow through bloglovin
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