Fun Photo-Quilts & Crafts [Paperback]

Ami Simms (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1999 | ISBN-10: 0943079063 | ISBN-13: 978-0943079066

Turn your photographs into treasured heirlooms with Ami's newest book. Learn transferring tips and quilting shortcuts from the expert. Over 25 projects---quilts, tote bags, neckties, ornaments, vests, and much more! You'll love Ami's easy-to-follow instructions and her humorous writing style.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Ami Simms could probably have chosen a career in comedy clubs. Her rapid-fire wit and side-splitting commentary make her a hugely popular lecturer and teacher on the international quilting circuit. Nonetheless, humor fails to cover up her obvious knowledge of her topics and technical expertise. Each of her more than half dozen books goes a long way toward making her reading public comfortable in attempting new techniques they may have previously found a bit intimidating.

Simms popularized photo-quilting with her first book on the subject, Creating Scrapbook Quilts (Mallery Press, 1993). Now she returns with its sequel, Fun Photo Quilts and Crafts, a chocked-full collection of tips and projects that enlarges her teaching sphere even wider.

Written in a comfortably conversational tone sure to set the most timid reader at ease, Fun Photo-Quilts takes the mystery out of this seemingly complicated technique. The book contains excellent construction directions accompanying each of the book's 28 quilts and projects. Many of the quilt patterns stand on a foundation of traditional quilted blocks, made more contemporary by including photographs transferred to fabric in eye-catching arrangements. I particularly applaud Simms' use of tiny cartoons to represent the photographs, first in the actual quilted block pattern and, then, in the arrangement of those blocks into a finished quilt designs. Also excellent were Simms' Cutting Charts directing each reader exactly how to cut each fabric.

Yet, let's be realistic. Quilters and crafters buy a book for its pictures. Only after they are thoroughly entranced with its visual images do they read the text, no matter now well done. Fun Photo-Quilts & Crafts will definitely capture their attention. The pictures are colorful, presented on quality paper, and inspiring to the most bashful of needlework artists. Simms' large "Gallery" section includes not only beautiful examples of the patterns found in the book but a running commentary on various innovative techniques for making each finished piece a one-of-a-kind art treasure. I found her work truly charming. And, as she enjoyed doing in some of her earlier books, Simms introduces lesser-known quilters by supplementing her own quilts with photographs of their work. Such generosity surely reveals a teacher not only confident of her own attempts but clearly delighted in revealing the efforts of her students.

Fun Photo-Quilts & Crafts is a truly remarkable booka "must-have" for every one's library. Use Simms' quick construction methods and fun-inspiring patterns to make your own memory quilt. Under Simms' direction you make something wonderful and have fun in the process. How can you resist? -- Reviewed by Louise McCormick Gibney, February 1999 (Quilter & free-lance writer for Traditional Quilter, American Quilter, ArtQuilt, Quilter's Gallery, Quilting International, New Zealand Quilter and Quiltmania.

About the Author

Ami Simms is the author of seven books on quilting: How To Improve Your Quilting Stitch, Invisible Applique, Every Trick In The Book, Classic Quilts: Patchwork Designs From Ancient Rome, Creating Scrapbook Quilts, How Not To Make A Prize-Winning Quilt, and Fun Photo-Quilts & Crafts. She has also authored over 50 articles for national quilting publications. She is the creator of the WORST Quilt In The World Contest.

Ami was first introduced to quiltmaking in 1975, while conducting research among the Old Order Amish of northern Indiana for her undergraduate thesis in anthropology. She made her first quilting stitches under the guidance of the Amish woman with whom she stayed.

Since that time Ami has made almost 100 quilts, of varying sizes, in both traditional and contemporary designs. Her work has been featured in several national magazines and other publications, and has been exhibited in juried competitions in California, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

Ami has been leading workshops and giving lectures on quilting since 1982. Prior to that time, and until 1983, she taught public school (second graders, then senior citizens). More recently she has been teaching and lecturing for quilting guilds throughout the United States. She has also taught quilting in Australia, Canada, England, Italy, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. Ami has led quilting tours to Italy, The Netherlands, and Hong Kong.

Recently Ami has brought her talents to national television. She has been a featured guest four times on the Home & Family Show (The Family Channel) presenting segments on photo-transfer quilts, string piecing, the WORST Quilt In The World Contest and Photo Quilt Blocks. She has also appeared on Simply Quilts (show #215) with Alex Anderson on HGTV.

Ami also hosts a monthly chat for quilters on America On-line on the 4th Thursday of each month and writes The AfterChat Newsletter which is e-mailed to over 4,000 quilters each month.

Ami Simms lives in Flint, Michigan with her husband, Steve, and their daughter, Jennie.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Mallery Pr (March 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0943079063
• ISBN-13: 978-0943079066
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,252,489 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Instructions and Fun Ideas, February 24, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Fun Photo-Quilts & Crafts (Paperback)

I bought this book when I agreed to make a class quilt for my daughter's kindergarten, to be auctioned at our schools annual dinner auction. Ami Simms writing style is fresh and down to earth. The clarity of her instructions was very appealing - not only did I follow her instructions for how to transfer photos, I also made the cover quilt. The projects in the book are interesting but not overly intimidating and include transfers on mouse pads as coasters in addition to quilts. I would highly recommend this book for anyone trying photo transfers for the first time.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good for photo quilt basics, November 4, 2002

By 

"anndiego" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fun Photo-Quilts & Crafts (Paperback)

I bought this book prior to completing my first two memory quilts, and did find it helpful. I really liked the idea of adding the folded "photo corners", found that in this book, and utilized that in one of my quilts. However, I do think this book is lacking in variety -- not that there aren't several examples of quilts, but, in a very general sense, they are all very similar. In large, they represent very symmetrical quilts, done with photos used as part of traditional patchwork blocks. The examples are very beautifully done, and do give some good ideas for color, pieced blocks, etc., but there was just not enough variety to be truly inspirational. But, for me, it was worth the investment just for learning how to do the photo corners. If you are looking for that technique specifically, or are really drawn to one of the patterns, the book may be worth it. But, the limited variety keeps it from being a book I thumb through again and again, and thus I can't really consider it one of my "best bang for the buck" quilting books.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great quilting book!, January 27, 2001

By 

"michelle2" (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fun Photo-Quilts & Crafts (Paperback)

This is a fun book with lots of ideas for photo quilts. I enjoyed the author's sense of humor in all the written sections, and although I have not actually constructed any of the projects in the book (yet), I have enjoyed just drooling over the pictures (I've decided that quilting books are an awful lot like cookbooks!).