Just Can't Cut It: Quilts from Fabulous Fabrics [Paperback]

Pamela Mostek (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2003

- Twelve quilts designed by a confessed fabriholic turn impressive fabrics into the center of attention- Packed with tips for using large-scale prints, repeating motifs, and for other creative ideas- Photos of fabulous fabrics will inspire quilters to give their treasures a second look

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Hometown: Cheney, Washington

Three-time author Pamela Mostek is also the owner of Making Lemonade Designs, a quilt-pattern company.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Martingale and Company (April 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156477449X
• ISBN-13: 978-1564774491
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #435,715 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful quilt designs to complement wonderful fabric, June 6, 2003

By 

K. Bourn "bohemiangirlpdx" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Just Can't Cut It: Quilts from Fabulous Fabrics (Paperback)

The title says it all! So often in a fabric store, I run across gorgeous fabric that I absolutely love but can't for the life of me figure out how I would use it in a quilt. Sometimes it's a large-scale print that wouldn't look right cut into itty-bitty pieces for a traditional pieced quilt. Sometimes it's a '30s repro novelty print where, again, the scenes would get destroyed if cut. More recently, it's been the lovely toiles that have come into vogue.

Pamela Mostek's "Just Can't Cut it!" provides terrific inspirations for quilts to make from those fabrics. Designs range from a simple scalloped whole-cloth quilt to a quilt with more intricately pieced diamond sashing that frames the "can't cut it" fabric. Since most of the design comes from the featured fabric, many of these quilts would be quite simple to piece.

The 12 designs include "Japanese Jewels," a crazy quilt made of Japanese prints, "I Love Liberty," which takes advantage of a strong horizontal design of a Liberty of London fabric, "Josie's Quilt," which shows off a '30s repro Red Riding Hood fabric that I've long admired, and several quilts using a lattice design to frame the featured fabric.

Those more addicted to hand quilting than to piecing will appreciate the simply to make quilts that will enable them to spend less time with the construction and get right to the quilting. I should note that Ms. Mostek doesn't provide any ideas of quilting the finished pieces. Fortunately, the photographs are clear enough that the quilting designs are apparent in most.

In addition to providing the piecing designs, Ms. Mostek gives suggestions for selecting companion fabrics that won't compete with the "can't cut it" fabric. Although she doesn't go into as much detail about companion fabric selection as some quilting books do, she does a good job focusing the short fabric-selection section to this style of quilt, where one fabric will (or at least should) dominate the design, and the rest are there to act as condiments, so to speak.

"Just Can't Cut it!" also contains a brief section on the mechanics of putting a quilt together, including applique and binding. The book, however, doesn't pretend to be a comprehensive "how-to-quilt" guide, and instead contains a good Resources section for those with questions on color, piecing, etc.

My one extremely minor criticism is that, for the most part, Ms. Mostek doesn't show any variations on her designs. Since the featured fabric serves as such a strong design element, visualizing the quilt made with anything else can be a challenge in some cases. Fortunately, the one quilt design where this is most true--"I Love Liberty"--does depict the quilt made with a different fabric.

The second I ran across this book at my local quilt shop, I knew I had to have it. One of these days, I will run across another one of those "Love It, But What Would I Do With It?" fabrics and will turn it into a "Just Can't Cut It" quilt.

1.0 out of 5 stars I wasted my money, August 12, 2011

By 

Margaret Mitchell "Books open my world, desig... (Washington, the evergreen state) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Just Can't Cut It: Quilts from Fabulous Fabrics (Paperback)

"Just Can't Cut It: Quilts from Fabulous Fabrics"
This book is an insult to any quilter, even the most beginning quilter will not find it a help.
The fact that it was published amazes me!

5.0 out of 5 stars great book!, January 25, 2011

By 

possum - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Just Can't Cut It: Quilts from Fabulous Fabrics (Paperback)

lots of lovely ideas to use those fabrics that you don't want to cut up. well written, clear instructions and heaps of photos