Customer Reviews

Baby's First Quilts

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Like all good quilting books, this one starts out with a section on choosing fabric and how to personalize your quilt. Tools needed and quilting basics are the next sections and cover such things as rulers, matching seams and chain piecing. In the Finishing Techniques section, there is a very good idea on how to make a light table with things you already have in your home just in case you don't own one.

A baker's dozen of quilt patterns are written in language that is easy to understand and has plenty of graphics of the steps so you can see if you are reading the written words correctly. There is a list of the materials needed and how to cut the fabric. There is also a photo of the finished quilt with the finished quilt size and finished block size being listed. A small paragraph about the quilt is also given. Making the blocks, assembling the quilt and finishing suggestions complete the patterns instructions.

Ms. Martin has chosen fun fabrics for the shown quilts such as blocks with alphabet letters or piggies playing. There are also quilts with retro fabric and even ones that use up all those left over bits and pieces.

The last page has a photo of the author along with two paragraphs about her.

Nancy J. Martin's BABY'S FIRST QUILTS offers thirteen quilt designs, some with novelty prints, sized for infants and newborns. Beginning to intermediate quilters will find the clear color-coded step-by-step illustrations and sidebars of tips make for an excellent and encouraging 'can do' quilter's gift guide.

This is the perfect book for the beginning quilter or the experienced quilter that wants a fairly quick project that goes together easily !! Lots of great color ideas, with smaller sized quilts, just right for babies. Love this book !!

Using traditional patterns and novelty fabrics, Nancy J. Martin has designed a book of patterns for beginner quilters. Baby's First Quilts starts out with an impressive 21 pages of quilting instructions to prepare even the most novice quilter. There are very basic instructions with information on rotary cutter equipment, and the use of other quilting supplies. Also, there are detailed directions for matching blocks, sewing direction, and pressing - very important for a new quilter.

Most of the quilts patterns are for beginners using novelty (or picture) fabric for design. All have clear color diagrams to show the placement of pieces. Most are squares, triangles, and/or framed fussy-cut novelty fabric pieces. Even the one appliqué pattern of Santas would be simple enough for a first time appliqué quilter. There is one circle pattern, Beach Balls, which would probably require more experience because the pieces are sewn on a curve.

Since the only thing that would distinguish these as baby quilts is the fabrics and size, you could use the same patterns to make lap quilts at this size or rework the size to make full-sized quilts. The quilts would be appropriate not only for babies and children, but also for charity quilting.