Customer Reviews

Liberated Quiltmaking II

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My copy arrived today and I love it. I have been a fan of Gwen Marston for a long time. She is a master quilter with a sense of humor. Whether you are a new or experienced quilter, you will find something here to love. Gwen is an excellent teacher who shows you useful techniques for piecing "by eye," and she answers many practical questions that will enable you to confidently design and make your own unique quilts. If you want to move beyond following patterns, this is the book for you! I have been a quilter since 1966 and I'm loving all the inspiration in this book. It makes me want to start a new quilt right now.

Here are some examples of her advice: "You don't need to choose all the colors before you start sewing." "It's harder to make a mistake than you think." "It's easier to err by playing it too safe: over-coordination can lead to the "color by number" look and a monotonous quilt." Her approach will loosen you up to have more fun making quilts.

The photos are beautiful. There are string quilts, basket quilts, star quilts, housetop/log cabin quilts, medallion quilts, some applique, traditional but liberated flying geese, and more. I particularly like the liberated chair quilt on page 122. This book is fun to read and she makes me laugh. It's the next best thing to attending one of Gwen's retreats. You can dive in at any point in the book.

This book will energize your quilting. I highly recommend it; you won't be disappointed.

Liberated Quiltmaking II is the updated guide to author Gwen Marston's signature style of original quilts that can be made without using templates or set patterns. Full color photographs and step-by-step diagrams guide the reader through unique, distinctive, and individual designs that come alive rather than simply repeat a sterile, static image. A gorgeous guide highly recommended especially for intermediate and advanced quilt makers interested in experimenting and putting their own personal stamp on their creations!

The first liberated quiltmaking book completely changed how I quilt: the joy, the freedom... it truly opened my mind up to a whole new way to work. This book has some of the same processes as in the first book, but several new ones as well. There are so many wonderful quilts to see with gorgeous hand-quilting - most of which did not appear in the first book. I highly, highly recommend it for folks who have the first book as well as those who don't.

I couldn't wait to get this book because Gwen Marsten's original Liberated Quiltmaking is my all-time favourite quilting book and the most inspiring. Many of the seminal pieces from that book are reprinted in Liberated Quiltmaking II. From my perspective, few new ideas are offered in II. If you missed your chance to own a copy of the original book grab this one; but if you already own the first, only buy this if you're a collector.

This book offers "liberated" alternatives to traditional patterns. I didn't find anything new in it (maybe because I was already familiar with this approach), but it has some interesting examples. To my taste, much of it is still fairly traditional. And while there are instructions for making the quilts shown, there's no real overall discussion for creating from scratch, or of design and color principles in general.

It's always a shame when one's favorite books go into out-of-print mode. Especially when you refer to them very often, it's nice to know that another is available on order. Liberated Quiltmaking II is better, though, than reprinting the original, in that we see that Gwen has only sharpened her eye and techniques over the years since the original liberated book appeared. Gwen's ideas were radical thinking and sewing in the early '90's. While some famous quilters have "borrowed" Gwen's original approach to quiltmaking and called it their own, it's nice to see the source still has juice! Highly recommended for all levels of quiltmaking and quilt collecting.

I have read all of Gwen Marston's 'Liberated' quiltmaking books, and this is just wonderful! It is full of 'out-of-the-box' ideas, many of which were covered in her first Liberated Quiltmaking book. I wish they would bring her first book back into print, which is the best of the best in this quiltmaking style. But since the publishers haven't, this is the next best thing!

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys creating quilts, not just copying someone else's pattern. I refer to this book often for ideas for different components of the projects I'm working on. I loved the last chapter which highlights some Liberated quilts by other gifted artist-quilters.

Thanks to Gwen Marston for inspiring more quilters to expand their creativity!

I was disappointed by this book because many of the quilts were featured in other books that I already own. Sorry Gwen, but compared to Liberated Quiltmaking (I) the book is mediocre.

This book is such fun! Perfect for a traditional quilter trying to break out of the box or non-traditional, art quilters looking for different methods. Started a new project the day I got it!

This book is just fabulous. Gwen is such a great quilter and her appreciation of "liberated" quilts is beautifully portrayed by the quilts in this book. It is such a lovely assortment of quilts, colors, humor and Gwen's incredible quilts. This book will just make you happy, inspired, amazed...
These quilts are so vibrant, it is a wonderful book with Gwen's thoughts and her enthusiasm for creative quilt making. I love to look at all the quilts from other people as well. It is a celebration of all quilts that don't quite toe the line, that make one stop and consider the possibilities .