Customer Reviews

Magic Stack-n-Whack Quilts

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a beginning quilter, I found this book to be an excellent guide for easily making kaleidoscope quilts without mirrors or extensive measuring and cutting. As a paper crafter as well, I found the technique great for collages.

The book starts out by explaining how to choose fabric and pick colors. It's a great plus that almost any fabric that has a repeat pattern can be used. Then, there are lots of great tips on rotary cutting, machine piecing & pressing.

Next, the stack-n-whack process is demonstrated in detail with step-by-step instructions and full-color photos. Fourteen different quilt projects, in 7 different styles follow. Illustrations are used instead of photos for these.

The quilts themselves are beautiful. There are large color photos of each one. In the back there are guides and patterns for all the projects as well as lesson plans for classes.

Following this technique you will get wonderful results, but you need to have patience. Patience both in reading/comprehension as well as executing the technique.

I had seen a Stack-n-Whack quilt completed at a local quilt store. It was stunning! The store offered a class, but of course, it was already full. I was told that the class is so popular it usually fills in the first week it's offered. So, I made an attempt at it with the book alone. It was tedious at first, and I had to read the how-to's more than once. The patterns it created from only one print fabric were so varied it was amazing. Generally, I have trouble choosing colors for quilts, and with this technique all you need is one fun bold fabric, background and borders.

The author offers many helpful hints on selecting fabrics and has included photos of do's and don'ts. It shows each step through photos of an actual quilt's progress, so follow the photos as you read the instructions and you'll do fine.

I can't wait to start my next one!

I must say that I don't buy many books.I saw Bethany Reynolds on "Simply Quilts" ,I was so impressed at how simple her tecnique was that I ordered the book that same day. I told my friend about the book and sparked her interest too. We decided that we would do a quilt together when the book came in. I was so excited when I got the book that I looked through it and showed my friend. The book has many good pictures as well as a lot of detailed instructions. I got so excited about it that one week before Christmas I started my first stacknwhack. Since my friend had many things to do before Christmas, I started it without her.I COULDN'T WAIT! Luckily she was very understanding. I finished a baby sized quilt in two days. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another book from Bethany Reynolds. I don't think I have ever read a book with such clear instructions.

This book should come with a warning lable. Highly addictive, proceed at your own risk. You run the danger of buying endless yards of fabric for future stack 'n whack projects.

Every once in a while a book comes a long with an idea so simple and clever, that you think why didn't I think of that? Buy enough yardage of fabric to have the desired number of repeats, stack each of the repeats of fabric precisely on top of each other and whack the pieces to form groups of identical repeats. The beauty of this method is you can quickly make blocks with as little as 12 pieces that are stunning. The instructions are clear and precise with a number of quilts to get you started. The technique adapts easily to other things. The only negative comment I have is that almost all of the quilts pictured were on the loud side and some might assume that it all the method produces. That is not the case. You can make anything from muted, to classy, to wild, depending on your fabric selection.

I am an experienced quilter with 14 years under my belt and numerous classes, too, and I was excited to own my own copy of this beautiful book. In fact, a good friend wanted a quilt from it, but I was dumbfounded by the instructions and had to put the book away in frustration for two years--until I was able to take a class at a local shop with someone who could explain to me how to read the charts!

While I understood the basic concepts of stacking the fabric carefully to take advantage of the repeats and of cutting the shapes and of sewing to make hexagons, 8-point stars, or half-square triangle patterns, I was baffled by formulas for calculating yardages needed for star points, background fabrics, and the like.

Now, after taking a class with an enthusiastic and clear teacher, I have purchased the next book, too (STACK-N-WHACKIER)and signed up for the next class in the series. The teacher, who is president of the largest (and best) quilting guild in this area, claims that a motivated beginner can master the stack-n-whack method--but even she admitted that it is easier the first time around in a classroom setting with a little help from friends (and a knowledgable instructor).

Therefore, I recommend this book for inspiration--and use AFTER a class with a good instructor.

I ordered this book based on seeing an episode of "Simply Quilts" which showcased Bethany's technique and her quilts. I almost never buy a book without seeing it first, but in this case the quilts shown on TV were gorgeous and the technique appeared simple and fast -- I was sold. I was NOT disappointed! I received the book one afternoon and by the next afternoon had purchased fabric and put together all the kaleidoscope blocks for a wall hanging. I am hooked. I have the fabric for another bed sized quilt in the book and now look at large scale print fabrics in a different light. I highly recommend this book!

I am a new quilter and have chosen Bethany Reynolds' book for my first project. The book is very easy to read and understand with lots of diagrams and precise instructions. It is also truly 'magic' if using the right material. I would recommend this book to all quilters, particularly for new quilters who want a fun project to start with. I'm doing my first one by hand!

This book gives very precise and clear directions to create dramatic looking quilts very quickly. I finished a quilt top in less than a week with no prior experience in this method.

I bought this book believing that making a kaleidoscope quilt would be easy to do. For people who can learn by books only--and don't need a teacher to help you figure this out--then it's okay.

My quilt shop owner advised me to take the class she had for making kaleidoscope quilts, and I didn't listen to her. I went home and tackled it myself. Now I have a bunch of fabric cut up and some of it doesn't match properly at the points, which is one of the keys to getting the kaleidoscope effect. So, I won't get the kaleidoscope quilt I wanted. If I had taken the class, my instructor probably would have caught my mistakes.

**This book has errors and you *should* be able to get a page from your local quilt shop with the corrections.**

This technique is too cool! I hate making quilts with the same pattern, but making a sampler is a cutting nightmare. This is the best of both worlds. Each square is sewed the same, but they all look so different once completed, I couldn't wait to sew the next square.I'll be making many more of these.