Bella Bella Sampler Quilts: 9 Projects with Unique Sets  Inspired by Italian Marblework  Full-Size Paper-Piecing Patterns
McMeeking (Bella Bella Quilts) presents quilts as vibrant as medieval cathedrals, In fact, she bases her designs on the colorful marble floors and pillars of cathedrals. In doing so, McMeeking is extending the scope of the Cosmati—Italian designers of the Middle Ages, who harvested stones from Roman ruins and recast them to pave and decorate religious and public buildings. McMeeking, in turn, re-purposes those recycled floors as cunning templates for advanced quilt patterns. She replicates marble designs on fabric with needle-pierced duplicates and paper-foundation piecing (and also guides quilters not familiar with the method). The greatest advantage of the technique: "It is very, very accurate!" Though not for beginners, it allows for working with shapes that call for Y-seams or stamp-size pieces (the tesserae of mosaics). The book includes full-size paper-piecing patterns for nine projects on pullouts. With each set of well-illustrated instructions, McMeeking encourages quilters to "think about how you might vary this design." These stunning quilts, such as "Laterano Interlace" and "Diamante Delight," showcase McMeeking's visionary artistic expertise.(Publishers Weekly, 3/4/13)McMeeking (Bella Bella Quilts) continues to draw inspiration from Italian marblework in her second collection of quilt patterns. Though full quilt designs are presented, quilters can easily mix and match elements of the patterns to make their own custom designs. Suggestions on fabric choice are given, as well as a number of tips for fabric cutting, foundation piecing, and curved piecing. Reproducible foundation templates are provided on a pattern insert. VERDICT: Experienced quilters who enjoy foundation piecing will find plenty of inspiration in McMeeking's elaborate designs.(Library Journal, 5/1/13)Capture the glory of medieval Italian marble work with nine breathtaking paper-foundation quilts and mix-and-match blocks designed by Norah McMeeking, author of the best-sellingBella Bella Quilts. Norah's uniquely easy paper-piecing techniques, tips gleaned from years of teaching paper-piecing, and comprehensive cutting and materials charts all guarantee your success. Draw on your fabric stash to create new colour combinations for these quilts, or try them with coordinating fat quarter packs.(Down Under Quilts Magazine, June 2013)After writing her first book,Bella Bella Quilts, Norah returned to Italy, visiting Rome and Sicily and collected even more designs and inspiration for her second book based around the fantastic Italian marble-work tiles. In this book there are 9 more projects with easy-to-follow instructions, beautifully illustrated examples of 35 paper-pieced blocks and full-size paper piecing patterns at the back of the book to pull out. As my sister has lived in Sicily for 33 years, this looks like another project for me to get stuck into!(Fabrications Quilting For You, August/September 2013)Due to popular demand, Norah McMeeking has designed 35 new foundation-pieced blocks in her Bella Bella style. Inspired by classic marble-work and tile patterns, these blocks can be combined to make truly stunning, complex sampler quilts. All the full-size foundation-piecing patterns are included on a pull-out pattern sheet.(American Quilt Retailer, October/November 2013)