In an earlier post I mentioned that I won this book in a naming contest (the owner of the blog and author of the book, chose my suggested name for her longarm). I received her latest book as my prize and received it a couple of weeks ago. I have been reading and choosing quilts to make and because it is so different from the books I have purchased I wanted to share this with everyone.
How many books do you purchase that are over 100 pages long and you think, "Wow! lots of patterns"---but when you get it and begin to look, over 50% of the pages are "basic" information that is in every book on the market already. I already know what a quilt sandwich is; I already have a scrap system; I already know how to put on a binding; I am not interested in designing or I would not have purchased the book; I know about quilting and why starch is used, etc. When you FINALLY get to the quilts, they are almost always really small and although they can be enlarged, I feel cheated.
This book is different. It is a total of 64 pages (which is about the number of pages that include quilts in the "other" books, even though in one, the total pages was 143). Quilt patterns begin on page 8!!!!! in this book (as opposed to page 66 in my comparison book). There is a total of 14 quilts in the book (the similar book I am comparing it to has 15). Only one I would consider really small (24.5 x 24.5). The other 2 are actually baby quilts so I consider it a quilt that could be used. The quilts are all scrappy and pre-cuts can be used (if you don't have a big stash) including the new Honeycomb's by Moda. The directions are clear and each quilt has a "scrappy tip" to further enhance the creative energy associated with making a scrappy quilt.
I really like this book by Rebecca Silbaugh! not only because I too am a "scrapper" and the quilts "speak to me", but because it is a book that acknowledges some of us already have some basic skills and do not need remediation before we begin a new quilt. Had I not been fortunate enough to win this book, I definitely would have purchased it. I am now on the look-out for her first book "Seemingly Scrappy". Hope over to her blog and order one! BTW--I am not being paid for this endorsement, I am just a happy quilter.
