Cutting Garden Quilts: Fabulous Fusible Flowers (That Patchwork Place) [Paperback]

Melinda Bula (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 3, 2007

Use a simple paint-by-number process to create these gorgeous floral-appliqué quilts! A quick layer-and-fuse technique, along with step-by-step color placement tips, will have you quilting your own cutting garden in no time.

* Five how-to patterns feature a rose, pansies, clematis, coneflowers, and apples; a photo gallery provides even more inspiration

* Easy fusible designs feature numbered color charts--they'll help you choose the perfect hues

* Learn how to use machine quilting to "paint" with thread, adding extra dimension and detail to each project

Editorial Reviews

Review

Having taken Melinda's two day workshop on flowers and thread painting, one can see that she is not only in love with color but has a serious passion for thread as well. Melinda's style captures the beauty of painting with thread rather than brushes and paint with nothing lost. Focusing on design, she is generous in teaching readers not only how to quilt, thread paint and use color lavishly, but how to design original floral quilts. Full color photos illustrated in the Photo Gallery of the book include both stylized and realistic blooms, leaves and fruit.

After becoming totally inspired, the next section of this book delivers what she describes as the Creative Process. Following this, Melinda presents her supply list with special attention to one of today's most popular notions, fusibles, and tips for using them. The author suggests you begin your original floral design by taking photos of real flowers. She provides all the steps needed to make your own outline drawing and how to transfer it to fabric easily. Painting with thread plus tips on how to applique and machine quilt the layers together in one step are easy to follow given Melinda's instructions, along with wonderful color photos we have come to expect from Martingale.

The last half of the book offers specifics on how to create flowers, from cornflowers to pansies and clematis to roses. The peach rose pattern is particularly exquisite. All patterns include entire drawings and their individual applique shapes, plus helpful "fabric keys" to help you choose, cut, layer and stitch to assure your success.

The tone of Melinda's book conveys the enthusiasm she exhibits personally as a talented designer and teacher. Never hesitate to take a class with her whenever possible. --Sylvia Landman, Sylvia's Studio

About the Author

Home: El Dorado Hills, California

Melinda Bula's company, Melinda Bula Designs, sells hand-silk-screened fabrics and wallpapers nationwide. Melinda's designs have been featured on the cover of Better Homes and Gardens and in several books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 95 pages
• Publisher: That Patchwork Place (December 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564777596
• ISBN-13: 978-1564777591
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #271,874 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Melinda Bula is an award winning quilt artist with a passion for color and design. Her quilt art was recently on display at the renowned Shelburne Museum in Vermont and her inventiveness in creating new patterns and projects is unstoppable as she travels the world giving humorous lectures and inspiring students in their own creative journey. She finds it rewarding to see her students achieve what they thought was unreachable.. Writing books is now another passion she enjoys and she finds it thrilling to see readers make the projects and put their own creative spin on them. Melinda believes her purpose for writing books is to empower the reader to be creative at whatever level they feel comfortable and for them to be successful. And they are.
You can see more of Melinda's work at www.melindabula.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fusible garden of flowers, February 8, 2008

By 

Barbara Rhoades "Jackie of all Trades" (O'Fallon, MO USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cutting Garden Quilts: Fabulous Fusible Flowers (That Patchwork Place) (Paperback)

I notice that fusible web is being used more and more to make quilts. CUTTING GARDEN QUILTS is no exception. This book makes beautiful flower quilts using fusible web. They are extremely detailed and use thread painting to detail the flowers even further.

Melinda describes her working area and I can only wish I had something similar. A 6' x 4" cutting table is a dream of mine, right down to the 15 drawers to keep things organized and the ability to raise and lower the sewing tables. She also describes what tools/supplies you will need She is very detailed about how to get from a photograph to a quilt with the descriptions of making an outline drawing, enlarging it and choosing colors for the fabric. She includes information on painting with thread to make your quilts pop.

There are five quilts in the book, complete with the outline drawings ready for you to enlarge. Each project has a descriptive paragraph about the quilt subject. Then there is a materials list, assembling instructions, thread detail instructions and how to finish the quilt. A fabric key is also given which shows which color fabric and how much of that fabric is needed.

These are quilts that will take you more than a weekend to complete but will be a beautiful wall hanging when done.

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bringing your Garden Indoors with Cutting-Garden Quilts, April 1, 2008

By 

Penny D. Haren "Checker newsletter editor" (Maumee, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cutting Garden Quilts: Fabulous Fusible Flowers (That Patchwork Place) (Paperback)

On the dreariest February day you can imagine, I came across Melinda Bula's "Cutting-Garden Quilts" - and she reminded me that spring is just around the corner! Although I don't have a green thumb - and only dream of the gardens that inspire her quilts - she shows you how to create them out of fabric - with breathtaking results!

Melinda wrote this book for two different audiences. For those of you who have an artistic eye and are perfectly comfortable designing your own garden, she leads you through the process that she uses to create these quilts. The instructions are written in such a conversational style that she has taken all of the intimidation out of the projects! I felt like I was sitting at her kitchen table as she talked me through the process.

But, honestly, I really belong to a different audience! For those of us who need more support, she has included patterns for five projects that are created out of fabric - like Paint by Number sets. And, once you are comfortable with the techniques, you will have the confidence to design your own pieces.

Melinda has included photographs of many of her pieces for inspiration and has shown her journey through the creative process. Each piece is dated so you can see how her techniques have evolved - and how quickly you can "grow" as an artist too.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great new project book!, July 4, 2008

By 

Mamazoid (Northern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cutting Garden Quilts: Fabulous Fusible Flowers (That Patchwork Place) (Paperback)

This is a great addition to most boring fusible applique. The detailing she helps you create is astonishing. I have had the book for about 3 weeks and I am on my second one. The Corn Flower on the cover is amazingly simple once you actually get brave enough to start cutting the fabric. Then it became more like making paper dolls with layers of clothes being placed on the doll. You just keep adding layers of fabric until you feel like your done. Or do it the simple way and just trace her designs and start layering. I would suggest using the Steam a seam 2 as she recommends and not the light variety. Some of the pieces are small and the regular Steam a Seam 2 keeps everything in place much more securely. Hope you all have as much fun with this book as I have already.