The Essential Guide to Practically Perfect Patchwork: Everything You Need to Know to Make Your First Quilt

Rating:
Summary: Practically Perfect Patchwork
Review: I borrowed this book from the library, and quickly decided I needed to find one to purchase. The tips that are included are invaluable, and she lets you know that it is normal for squares not to be perfect, and gives you tips on how to make them perfect. Very good reference for those of us just starting out.

Rating:
Summary: I am now a quilter!
Review: This book is my new reference manual! I'll refer back to it with every quilt I make. I followed each lesson and when I was done my quilt was finished. I liked that there was a lot of illustrations and helpful hints. The hints on how to fix errors was invaluable.

Rating:
Summary: I am now a quilter!
Review: This book is my new reference manual! I'll refer back to it with every quilt I make. I followed each lesson and when I was done my quilt was finished. I liked that there was a lot of illustrations and helpful hints. The hints on how to fix errors was invaluable.

Rating:
Summary: Recommended by the Accidental Quilter
Review: Very comphrehensive manual for the beginner and advanced beginner on quilting pieced blocks. (this is not an applique book)
This book is divided into ten main chapters that address the basics of quilt making from beginning to end. Chapters include an overview, templates (and how to make them), squares, rectangles and half-square triangles, triangles, polygons, circles, curves, and arcs, finishing the quilt top,backing , batting, basting, quilting, binding and labels.
Lots of diagrams, template patterns, and color plates, and a cute bunny cartoon character in boxes giving extra tips. I liked the power checklists in bold, large font. It lets you check at the end of a section to make sure you've done everything and the print is big enough to read without glasses.
The chapter on quilting is the most innovative I've read, with Michelle advising the beginning quilter to quilt by machine where
it doesn't show and quilt fancier patterns by hand where it does.
She also recommends a big needle and #8 perl cotton to give big bold stitches for the beginner instead of the tiny stitches that
drive new quilters wild.
There are also clear pictures of how to miter a border and how to
automatic miter the binding.
The book is very logical, helpful and fun in it's layout and I anticipate referring to it again and again.
:)