Modern Patchwork: 12 Quilts to Take You Beyond the Basics
Elizabeth Hartman was the one who started it all for me. I came across her blog over three years ago and I have been faithfully following it ever since. I loved her first book,A Practical Guide to Patchwork, and was anxiously awaiting the release of her second,Modern Patchwork. It was definitely worth the wait!Modern Patchworkpicks up whereThe Practical Guideleaves off, giving the reader more advanced piecing and quilting techniques. If you are just beginning to sew, I recommend starting with thePractical Guide to Patchwork, but Elizabeth's straight-forward directions are easy for the beginner to understand also. What I love the most aboutModern Patchworkis the gorgeous pictures, the alternate quilt ideas, the pictures and directions for the quilt back, and the numerous diagrams to help piece together blocks. I only wish that the pull-out pattern in the back could somehow be incorporated into the book, but that is the only tiny issue I have with this quilt book. My favorite quilts from the book (it's hard to limit to just three) is Neighborhood, Looptastic, and the cover quilt Honey. This book is geared toward the confident-beginner quilter, and a must in any modern quilter's library!(Kelly SmithJuly 6, 2012)Elizabeth Hartman‘s new book,Modern Patchwork, is lovely, as you’d expect. I like that she’s designed each of the projects around a very specific goal: offering modern quilters block patterns that will allow them to develop more advanced skills through clean, modern design. Most of us, including my Your First (Modern) Quilt class and my online Essential Quilting e-course, learn advanced piecing techniques through more traditional blocks, primarily because there is such a lack of collections of modern blocks on the market for us to utilize to cement those skills. While not all of the blocks inModern Patchworklend themselves very easily to a sampler quilt, they are such chic and sophisticated designs with such appealing lines that I’m already dreaming up ways to incorporate them into projects I’ve got on the back burner.(whipstitchfabrics.com, July 11, 2012)Modern Patchwork: 12 Quilts to Take You Beyond the Basicsis Elizabeth Hartman’s second quilting book. Her first,The Practical Guide to Patchworkwas an instant classic and her second proves to be a wonderful addition. Going on from what quilters learned in the first book, or from beginning quilting books, Elizabeth takes it up a notch with more intricate piecing.Her designs range from the fairly simple Xylophone (reminiscent of Stacked Coins) to the impressive Looptastic. Then, of course, she pushes quilters to stretch a bit further and tackle appliqued ovals with Owl Eyes. Each quilt is accompanied by two other sample blocks that show the design in completely different colorways. Included are templates for the appliques and piecing.(Fab Shop Magazine, July 11, 2012)Expand your skills with new designs and techniques to take you beyond the basics in design and colour choice. These projects are bold, bright and graphic and are designed to give modern quilters new challenges and skills. For example, curved piecing set in a very modern design. Each project shows an alternative colourway and despite much of the fabric being identified as standard patchwork fabric, it is the way it is used within the bold designs that makes it look so different.(Fabrications Quilting For You, September 2012)Author Elizabeth Hartman follows up on her best-selling bookThe Practical Guide to Patchworkwith a dozen modern projects geared to expand the skill set of intermediate-level quilters.(Quilts & More, 09/18/12)Modern quiltmaking has copped some criticism from traditionalists for being simplistic and unstructured, suitable only for people who don’t have good basic quiltmaking skills. Elizabeth Hartman, one of the prime movers and shakers of the modern quiltmaking school, rejects this assessment and argues that it’s about embracing a clean, bold , graphic aesthetic rather than following a previously established set of rules. That said, she does acknowledge that a lot of the patterns that have been published to date for modern quilts have been quite elementary. So she’s branched out and designed a set of patterns for intermediate-level quiltmakers that promote precision piecing and thoughtful fabric selection, and introduces new technical challenges. Instructions are provided for 12 projects, requiring skills such as curved piecing, working with hexagons (shown on the front cover) and diamond shapes, machine applique using interfacing and using templates.(Australian Homespun Magazine, 09/18/12)This follow-up to Elizabeth Hartman’s first book,The Practical Guide to Patchwork, is a winner. Her book features 12 original bold and modern quilt designs geared for the intermediate quilters. In addition to the initial quilt, Elizabeth offers two additional colorways for each design. She also provides instructions for a complementary pieced back for each quilt. I found so many quilts to like in the collection and was particularly taken with 'Neighborhood.' Using a log cabin construction method, she fussy cuts the center panel to feature a bird then builds around it, in the end creating houses. She includes some extra tips in the general instructions, including making a design wall and organizing your project.(The Professional Quilter Magazine, 09/19/12)Elizabeth Hartman follows up her first book,The Practical Guide to Patchwork, with this gem that takes you beyond the basics and into the realm of bold, graphic modern quilt design. In addition to being an excellent instructional resource, the book is a primer on the use of geometry and color to achieve bold-but-approachable contemporary design.The 'alternate ideas' section that accompanies each in-depth tutorial is invaluable to new and intermediate quilters; seeing the project completed in several different palettes enables readers to concretely see how various color and fabric choices achieve very different styles. Design ideas for giving the quilt backs their due add to the fodder for making each quilt a truly polished product and, one could argue, a two-in-one design.(Christine FrenchInternational Quilt Festival - Quilt Scene, 10/24/12)Be ready to be wowed withModern Patchworkby Elizabeth Hartman. Those of you inspired by the designs, colours and lines of today's modern quilts will delight in Elizabeth's quilt creations. In fact, all quilters will appreciate Elizabeth's contemporary quilts. This is a great addition to the bookshelf.(Australian Quilters Companion, 12/1/12)Written to take the modern quilter beyond the basics, this book offers instruction on materials, fabric and design vocabulary, supplies, construction basics and so much more. Each of the 12 projects takes you a little further toward expanding your skills and finding your own design voice. Definitely the book to refer to as you advance your quilting knowledge and skills.(Modern Quilts Unlimited, 11/1/12)