Customer Reviews

Animal Kingdom : CD- ROM More Than 100 Blocks to Paper Piece

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After reading so many of the reviews that criticized this CD-ROM for printing out pieces that had to be cut apart, adding a 1/4" seam allowance, I thought I needed to say that these patterns are intended for paper piecing. In case you are not familiar with this, you sew directly on the paper, then pull the paper off the fabric when the square is complete. This will give you fantastically pointy corners and a beautiful design, with EASE!!! Even my 10-year-old child is able to paper-piece beautiful quilt pieces!!!

In view of the fact that photocopiers can slightly distort patterns (never mind the convenience factor), the only thing that was missing from Ms. Rolfe's beautiful portrayal of animals were printable patterns -- and here they are! There are 116 different block patterns on this CD-ROM, each printable for 4", 6", or 8" blocks, facing either left or right. Except on the cover, the CD & accompanying folder do not include the kind of finished-results pictures contained in her (other) books, so it's helpful to either already have one of her books, or have a great instinct for fabric color/pattern choice. However, for anyone interested in quilting animals that are artistic and not "cutesy," this CD-ROM is invaluable.

After looking for foundation piecing patterns for an Arctic animal quilt, I found Margaret Rolfe's incredible books which had exactly what I was looking for. Her patterns result in beautiful, detailed animals with a lot of character. The only problem I had was trying to scan the blocks into my computer to print them on foundation piecing material. I was so excited when I found the Animal Kingdom CD-Rom, which has patterns for most of the animals found in her books. Now I can easily print out what I want to make, saving me a lot of time. The added details make these animals come alive. In addition to bears and a delightful moose, there are many that I did not expect to find, including a puffin, several birds, owls, foxes, deer, a walrus, geese, and a sea lion. She also has patterns for dinosaurs, dogs, cats, farm animals, Australian animals, and exotic birds and animals. The CD-Rom has greatly enhanced the use of my Margaret Rolfe collection.

This CD no longer works on computers with the latest operating systems. It was made for Windows 95-98 and Mac 4.x . I neglected to download the CD to my computer when I got it, and now that I need it, it won't work.

Excellent, excellent patterns in an easy to access CD (runs well under Linux - Ubuntu). The variety of animals on offer is quite wide (100+ patterns). I have made 50+ of them and am looking forward to the ultimate 'animal' quilt they will become.

"That Patchwork Place" should re-release this as an e-book, with a few tweaks to the format(infinitely variable sizing, ability to pack as many block sections as possible on an A4 sheet, etc) I would buy it again!

If I'm buying software patterns, I expect to be able to print them at my size, not the author's. Printing a pattern and then having it reduced or enlarged at a copy center is not acceptable. I can understand Ms. Rolfe's concerns, but this is inappropriate for this format.

Note that, on the Mac version at least, you can print in only two sizes: 6" and 8" blocks (with reverse image options). And, there is no provision for a thumbnail size to use in laying out a quilt on the computer.

As another reviewer pointed out, copy center machines are rarely calibrated correctly so output is sometimes skewed. Paper piecing is intended to be exact-- something not possible in sizes other than the author's.

This software includes all the patterns from _The Quilter's Ark_, pluse some new patterns, including DINOSAURS for your little boy! (So many quilts look feminine that this is a bonus!)

However, I am getting indifferent results on my computer. It takes forever for the patterns to print, and some, like the flying eagle, will not print at all.

I have no problem with the limited sizes, but I do wish that the author had broken the patterns down into sections and included the standard 1/4 inch seam allowances for each one.

This is a really wonderful book. The directions are excellent. I found it inspired a lot of creativity. Even if you're not a paper-piecer, you'll find the animals just too cute and engaging not to just give it a try.

You buy a program that will print paper pieced creatures, then you learn once you start printing that WHOA! this author didn't even bother to make the printout user friendly!!! She chose to limit the sizes of the blocks but for crying out loud there is PLENTY of room on an 8x11.5 sheet of printer paper to break down the patterns so I don't have to cut, add on boarders, etc etc.
This author requires an editor that quilts and won't let such over sights go to press.

Animal Kingdom is a CD inside a full-color cardboard sleeve. There are 2 pictures of a dolphin project on the sleeve, and several color photographs of blocks on the front "cover". The rest of the projects are shown strictly by a small color line drawing.

I can't say that I'm very impressed with this CD at all. The patterns are definitely cute, although a lot of the design features come from embroidery, and not from piecing the features in. I haven't tried printing any patterns yet because our printer is hooked up to the other computer, and apparently I can't save any patterns onto a floppy. Not impressed.

The patterns should have had the seam allowance included, and the multi-piece patterns should print that way - we should NOT have to cut the pattern apart after printing, and add seam allowance. There should have been WAY more color photographs of the patterns, and suggestions for projects - theres lots of room on a CD for these things. Instead of having an index with all the blocks listed (whereby you could pick which one you want to work with) - you get to figure out which section your block falls into alphabetically:
Australian Magpie - Butterfly ... Camel - Cow ... etc. etc. etc.
I have to say - that is one ODD "index". There are some excellent instructions on the CD, but you have to choose from 3 instruction categories, and then use arrows to get to your page - you can't directly access the page you want. Again - this is
is an extremely odd and inefficient way to do things.

If this CD is the "new wave" of crafting books, then it either needs a LOT of work, or else its going to go the way of Beta video recorders. The *concept* of a book on a CD is a good one, but the product - in this particular case - needs a lot of work.