Create Your Family Quilt: Using State Blocks and Symbols (Book & Design CD)
More than just the re-creation of traditional quilt block  patterns, the personalized quilt is either dedicated to a friend  or friends (friendship quilts) or recounts the history of a  family or an individual. These three books approach the subject  differently. Friendship Blocks will be of special interest to  individuals and groups planning quilts to honor special people  or events such as the birth of a baby, a graduation, or a  marriage. The entire process of planning and completing a  friendship quilt is covered, including how to make basic  signature blocks (which leave ample space for the quiltmakers to  sign the quilts with their names or special messages), plan and  execute the hand lettering, and finally quilt and bind the  quilt. Ten quilt patterns illustrate the possibilities of this  type of collaborative quilt. Recommended for public library  quilt collections, especially in areas where there are active  quilt guilds.  Create Your Family Quilt is an example of how increasingly  computer-savvy quilters are using the enormous storage capacity  of electronic media in connection with specialized software as  an aid in designing unique quilts. The accompanying CD-ROM  includes patterns for 700 traditional pieced blocks associated  with all 50 states and Canada, plus appliqu  patterns for  symbols such as state birds and flowers. Using a mix-and-match  approach, the quilter picks the elements for the quilt (a state  block and colors, for example) and sets them into a  predetermined quilt layout. Once the quilt design is completed,  the quilter can print out a block pattern, full-sized templates,  and rotary-cutting instructions for the original quilt in any  size from crib to king. While the book alone is packed with  interesting facts about each state of the union, installation of  the user-friendly CD-ROM software is required for the actual  quilt design. An excellent choice for large public libraries. In Quilted Memories, Weidman gets about as far away from a  computer-generated quilt design as you can. This book has few  quilt patterns, few templates, and no step-by-step anything.  Instead, it consists of some 96 pages of inspiration, colorful  images, and ideas for designing "story quilts" based on life  experiences. Weidman's tips on drawing, choosing colors,  appliqu , and the use of embellishments (such as the gorgeous  buttons shown throughout the book) are reason enough to  recommend the work to the creative quilter. In addition, nine  small projects give the reader an opportunity to practice the  author's techniques. Enthusiastically recommended for quilting  collections emphasizing art quilts.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.