The Careless Quilter : Decide-as-you-sew, Design-as-you-go Quiltmaking

Rating:
Summary: An approachable, whimsical introduction to quilting
Review: I am a new quilter. I learned the basics from _Quilting for Dummies_ and, from there, picked up a number of quilting pattern/design concept books for inspiration. _The Careless Quilter_ was the book that finally got me sewing: Faced with far too many choices for a quilt design, I was at an impasse, reluctant to cut up and "waste" my fabric. Miller's concept of starting with a simple square and building outward from the center, all the while making a series of small decisions, freed me of my anxiety about "ruining" my project (which is coming along nicely). I recommend this book to anyone who is starting out, who needs inspiration, or who wants to look at the art of quilting with fresh eyes.

Rating:
Summary: Great book, but needs a different title
Review: I just received this book and really liked it. The basic idea is to start with a central medallion and then make design and fabric choices to let your quilt grow around the medallion. This means you don't plan the quilt entirely in advance, which I think is more fun, and results in a interesting quilt.

I taught myself how to quilt (I knew how to sew, but knew nothing about patchwork), and used a method very similar to the author's. I have now made many quilts using that method, and really enjoyed finding someone else who uses it. I also learned a lot from the examples in the book (for instance, she makes using triangles non-scary!), and will be able to design more varied quilts now.

However, I think the title "Careless Quilter" might put some people off. It's true that the author shows you how to correct mistakes without tearing your whole quilt apart, and even, in some cases, demonstrates how supposed "mistakes" can be used to your advantage. But the quilts produced by her method are not sloppy or poorly made, as might be implied by her title. "Careless", in this case, refers to not planning the entire quilt top in advance.

I recommend this book to people who want a change from the block-by-block quilting method, or who enjoy making their own design and fabric choices. And my thanks to Kristin Miller for writing it!