Elly Sienkiewicz's Beloved Baltimore Album Quilts: 25 Blocks, 12 Quilts, Embellishment Techniques
It is always exciting news in the applique world when Elly Sienkiewicz comes out with a new book. In Elly Sienkiuewicz's Beloved Baltimore Album Quilts we find 25 blocks, 12 quilts for inspiration and numerous embellishment techniques. Album quilts are perhaps the most glorious of all applique quilts. The blocks are often done by many different stitchers and contain symbols that are representative of our culture, both past and present. All the patterns in the book are from the Happiness is in the Journey quilt, one of the quilts from the Houston Special Exhibit. They are sized at 8x8 finished. There is an enlargement chart for those of you who would like to work in a larger size format. You will find wonderful photos and illustrations for various applique techniques from beginning basics to such techniques as weaving fabric for baskets and creating dimensional flowers. Art materials covered include: threads, fabric manipulation, beads and acrylic paints and inks. I also liked the instruction on creating a dog tooth border. The quilts at the 2010 Houston Special Exhibit started from a grain of an idea Elly had in the middle of the night. Over the course of 3 years (2007-2010), 245 volunteers from 36 states and 5 countries created 12 Baltimore Album quilts. The twelve quilts plus an additional 28 quilts from around the world made up the 2010 Houston Special Exhibit. The block makers names are listed along with a map of the quilt to help the reader locate the specific block in the photo of the quilt. I am sure there are names you will recognize. This is a MUST have book for your applique book library, and will be a great resource for both the beginner and the more experienced artist.