Customer Reviews

Alex Anderson's Baby Quilts With Love: 12 Timeless Projects for Today's Nursery

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I confess that I love making baby quilts. And it isn't because I know a lot of women having kids (though quite a few of them _do_ seem to be popping out babies recently). Baby quilts are small projects that you can finish in a short period of time; you can machine quilt them without feeling as though you're wrestling with an angry critter. They let you explore new techniques or colors, and if you decide that you *hate*, say, doing pieced borders, you haven't taken on an obligation that you can't bear to finish. Because they're small, you are likely to have all the fabric for one already in your stash.

Best of all: if you're not yet an accomplished quilter, it's really easy to justify making a baby quilt. You can tell yourself that a baby is just going to spit up on it anyway -- so don't worry too much if it isn't perfect.

And that's just the advantages to the quilter. The parents are always awestruck by the gift, because you made it for their kid. (Despite that "spit up" promise to myself, one gift recipient hung it on the wall of the baby's room. Oh well; she's far away and I don't have to look at all the mistakes I know I made.)

Of course, you don't need to have a baby involved at all. If you don't choose nursery fabrics or pastel colors, these quilts -- and the set in this lovely book by Alex Anderson -- make very nice wall hangings.

Now that I've convinced you that making a baby quilt is a good idea, let me exhort you to consider this book by Alex Anderson. I love every one of her books, because her tone is so reassuring and her designs clearly explained.

At least half of the dozen projects listed here are suitable for beginners, and she gives good advice about color choices (i.e. choose a focus fabric and then pick accompanying colors based on that). This probably shouldn't be the _very_ first quilting book you pick up, or at least you should choose another one to accompany this one; while there's some "getting started" info in the front, isn't enough to give you confidence on the basic techniques. However, even a beginner should be able to whip through one of these projects in a weekend, maybe too.

Anderson likes scrappy quilts rather more than I do. In these projects she doesn't indulge that preference as much as in her other books; while some of these quilts call for "assorted blue prints to total 1 1/4 yards" she has one quilt with just two fabrics (admittedly it's an advanced one with a scalloped edge), and a few more that call for only 4 or 5 fabrics.

One quilt uses the gloriously soft "Minkee" fabric; it's gorgeous but (speaking from experience here) the Minkee fabric is really expensive. Yet, if you touch it, you're going to want to sew with it!

As you can probably tell, I like this book a lot. If you have any fondness for scrappy quilts (or *really* want to use up some of those fat quarters you've been hoarding), this is an excellent book for the purpose. If, however, you want baby quilt projects with a lot more solid colors and a reason to use spiffy fabric panels, you should check out "Quilts for Baby: Easy As ABC." In fact, I'd recommend both.

If you're one of Alex Anderson's fans and can't get enough of her on the television program, Simply Quilts, you have an opportunity to experience twelve timeless projects for the nursery, and get a "snapshot" of Alex as a child at the same time.

New quilters will appreciate Alex Anderson's Baby Quilts with Love for several reasons. First there is a section that gives basic quilting information. It includes everything from choosing and preparing fabrics; rotary cutting "need-to-know" information; how to pin, piece, press, remove stitches; quilt finishing techniques; and the care of the finished quilt.

Second, the information provided is accompanied by drawings to help you process the written information visually. And thirdly, there are some fast, fun and spectacular baby quilt patterns.

The strength of this particular quilt book is that is accurately reflects the skill level necessary to complete the project. Everything that is needed to complete the quilt is presented in a clear, concise manner. Quilters are provided with a list of materials and step-by-step directions with which they are able to create that special quilt for the little ones you love.

Experienced quilters will enjoy the interesting projects and will be able to put their own touches on the patterns.

Armchair Interviews says: It doesn't matter if you're a beginner or an expert quilter, there are projects for everyone in Alex Anderson's Baby Quilts with Love. My favorite is Tree of Life and you'll have your own favorite.

I made my first three quilts as baby gifts from this book. Instructions are clear and very easy and end product looks heirloom.

I am shocked by the review just before mine that gave this book 1 star. Before buying any craft/sewing book I check it out of my library to decide if I really will use it. Most of them I decide I don't need in my own library. However, this one was on my "must buy" list right away. Baby Quilts With Love is not only my favorite baby quilting book, but my favorite quilting book I own. Not only does she spend a small part of the book explaining the essentials, her quilts are absolutely gorgeous.

These quilts are not only baby quilts, but would be perfect to hang on your wall. The colors are fresh and modern, and the designs are beautiful. I bought this to make some baby quilts, but truthfully any quilts I make from it are going to be turned into wall hangings. They are that pretty.

Buy this book! You won't be disappointed. However, if you like quilts in browns and grays, or quilts in childish hard-to-look at primary colors (like they walked straight out of the Sesame Street section of Walmart), or soft pastel quilts that you would only give to a little baby girl who will outgrown it in a few years, you might not want this book. But if you want to make quilts that you or your loved ones will cherish and will not outgrow, then this is the quilting book for you.

Cutest baby quilts and easy to do patterns. Many techniques used to construct simple projects for baby.

There were some cute and simple quilts in this book that I liked, but I was a little disappointed in a few factors. First, the way the instructions are written did not necessarily allow for easy translation to other fabrics. Many of the featured quilts got their personality from unique novelty fabric; without use of an equivalently novel fabric, they would have little to recommend them.

Second, the author made several of her quilts using scraps of as many as several dozen different types of fabric per project. No total yardage amounts were given and the numbers were not written in such a way that one could easily do the math and figure out how much yardage to buy to complete the project without lots of compatible fabrics already on hand.

I much preferred Baby Wraps: Quick, Cuddly Quilts (That Patchwork Place) and Quilts, Bibs, Blankies...Oh My!: Create Your Own Cute & Cuddly Nursery for their creativity and flexibility.

My wife who is a MAJOR quilter and embroiderer bought this book so she could get more ideas for baby quilts so she could make them as gifts for those having babies. She is very happy with it.

I purchased this book for my daughter who is teaching a beginners quilting class. We both found this book to be colorful with simple quilting instructions for beautiful quilts.

I love this book! It has all the instructions in detail on every quilt in the book! In fact I am currently making one out of this book now and I love the way it is going together.All of the quilts in the book are ones that will never go out of style...
Fantastic book for quilters who enjoy making baby quilts, easy to follow instructions for every one in this book.Anyone can make a beautiful baby quilt from beginner to someone who has been quilting for many years.

Delighted with item. Received quickly and would be delighted to do business with this seller again.