Most Helpful Customer Reviews
53 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Limited Usefulness, May 13, 2004
The first thing that troubled me about this book was the fact that the block designs are all shown only as single blocks. There is no indication of how the blocks look when put together into a quilt. Unless you have much more skill at visualization than I do, you will have to draw out multiples of the blocks in order to see the patterns that will appear when the blocks are set together for a quilt. Still, with such an enormous number of block designs, it might have been difficult to fit in this additional information. The big problem is the oft-repeated claim that the "patterns are easily drafted..." Well, no they aren't. The designs do not even necessarily show the edges of the patches that need to be cut -- for example, Odd Fellow's Cross is shown with patches normally pieced from three triangles displayed as though they were a single odd-shaped patch. This is true of many blocks, where there is no indication of seams. There is no hint that some parts of the blocks may be appliqued rather than pieced. Nor is there any suggestion about grain lines for the pieces, the best order in which to combine them, the traditional set of the blocks, or any construction details or suggestions whatsoever. Although I have made a dozen quilts, and generally drafted them from drawings in books, I don't think I will be able to make any quilts just from the drawings in this book. One of the neat things about this book is that each pattern has numerous traditional names listed. If you have a quilt and would like to identify it, you will probably be able to -- if you are willing to browse through 5500 blocks in order to do so. Now, if you just know the name of the quilt and are hoping to get an idea of what it might look like, you are in luck, because there is an index allowing you to do just that. The other neat thing about the book is of course the very large number of blocks pictured. I cannot say that you will find every single block you might want, however, because -- ironically enough -- this book does not contain the rare block I am searching for! Still, this book would have given me no more information than the photograph in which I first saw the elusive block. This is a book for the quilt scholar, and for the mathematically-skilled quilter who doesn't really need a pattern. Reasonably-skilled quilters would do better with Better Homes and Gardens 505 Quilt Blocks or Ruby McKim's 101 Patchwork Patterns.
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29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
lots of block patterns, July 28, 2004
I purchased this book because I am making a queen-size sampler quilt for my mom and wanted to find block patterns that would pay homage to the many wonderful aspects of her personality and life - and in three different sizes! This book has given me many ideas and options.
The book has a small preface, and a great index, but otherwise is all blocks! It is broken up by unit format (four-patch, nine-patch, picture blocks, etc.) It is a terrific service that Ms. Malone has done by gathering all these patterns into one place.
Unfortunately, there are a number of things that could have made this book fantastic that were overlooked. First, besides the format (there are over 1100 nine-patch blocks), there is no apparent order to the blocks. They could have been organized alphabetically, by complexity, number of pieces, similiar blocks together... Also, there are many blocks that are repeated, (some with the same name!) but just in different colors. Example, pg. 132, the first two blocks are identical except for the colors used, although the color *pattern* is the same. In my opinion, they are the same block and it is up to the quilter to put in the colors s/he wants. If all such repetitions had been eliminated, there might be many less blocks, making this book less mind-boggling to flip through, and also would be easier to find ALL names for the same block in one list. Many of these identical blocks are NOT on the same page so it is hard to say how many there are, but I've come across several.
Even more troubling, I have seen blocks that are colored incorrectly, traditionally speaking. It makes me wonder whenever I see a symmetrical pattern with asymmetrical coloring, whether is accurate or a simple error. My guess is that this is due to the drafting program used; many of these spaces were probably simply not clicked on with the correct color.
As the previous reviewer mentioned, it would be nice to have a little more background on individual blocks, and many of the blocks are hard to draft. I also was disappointed that there are no layouts and it is hard to imagine how a block will look as a completed quilt.
Of course, there is no way to include every pattern in a single book, since more are being created every day. However, this book makes a good attempt and is a great resource for quilters who are looking for something new to try. I have used several blocks from this book and will continue to flip through it for new ideas and inspirations.
Hopefully there will be a second edition with more comprehensive editing!!!
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bumper book of patchwork blocks!, August 25, 2005
This hardbacked volume contains a huge collection of patchwork blocks each of which is carefully drawn and appropriately coloured on the computer. The author's source and a pattern name is given in each case and the blocks are sorted into the usual patchwork categories of four patch, nine patch etc.
There is a very wide range of different styles and the blocks are fully indexed at the back of the book.
This book is absolutely superb and once it is in your collection you will probably not need any other collection of patchwork block drawings.
Beginners will need another book to complement this one because no actual finished quilt patterns are provided nor are there any instructions on how to make a quilt; Lynne Edwards's "Sampler Quilt" series would be an excellent partner as her books cover many different techniques.
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