The Gentle Art of Quiltmaking: 15 Projects Inspired by Everyday Beauty
Quilters must learn to be gentle with themselves.  First of all - The Gentle Art of Quiltmaking by Jane Brocket is a lovely, gentle book! The photography is clean and up-to-date.  The book layout is straightforward and uncluttered.  The projects are simply beautiful because they are simple and because the fabrics are beautiful.  However, the works in Jane's introduction are to me, almost what was most striking about this book.  Jane explains how she always thought that she was not capable of making a quilt.  She had a fear of doing things wrong or the incorrect way.  The rules and regulations sounded too difficult. Oh my goodness, is this really what young women think? Thankfully, Jane had a friend who set her straight, and also, thankfully Jane has written this inspiring book.  I love it, and anyone who wants to, or already loves to make quilts will love it too! (American Quilt Retailer, September 2010 )Pick us up off the floor 'cuz we're in love! This book by British quilter, author and blogger Jan Brocket offers pretty and simple quilts, many made with Kaffe and other Westminister/FreeSpirit fabrics, and presents them through gorgeous photography and tons of excellent design instruction. But the best part - besides the quilts, of course - is the text itself. Jane is a wonderful writer, and she deeply explores with us each quilt's genesis: what inspired her, how she approached the designs and what challenges she found along the way. It's a delightful, intelligent look into the process most of us go through when we're playing with our fabric. As a hardcover book, it's perfect for leaving on your coffee table while you decide what luscious project you want to start first. (Plus you'll impress the heck out of your minigroup.) Go get it. Worth every dime. (Quilter's Home, 12/10 )