Customer Reviews

Marsha McCloskey's Block Party: A Quilter's Extravaganza of 120 Rotary-Cut Block Patterns (Rodale Quilt Book)

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

i hesitated in buying this book--i have so many books and magazines with block designs. but, after looking through it, i had to have it.

some of the other reviewers have noted some of the minor drawbacks--for instance, the size of the blocks. however, if you want to put your blocks on point, 9" is a very useful size. and yes, it would be nice to have even more examples of quilts using the blocks, but i could say that about almost every quilt book i own.

one of the best things about this book, which was first published in 1998, is that it does NOT give in to the current hysteria for 'quick piecing.' now, i use some of the time-saving techniques circulated in the past few years--i strip piece when it will really save time, i chain piece when it will really save time--but the current mania for not learning how to cut triangles to fit, for instance, flying geese, is driving me up the wall. not only do i hate the pointless waste of fabric, but the encouragement of ignorance, laziness and bad craftmanship is worse. and i really hate those unnecessary seams that limit the choice of quilting designs.

in addition, the author offers traditional and original blocks that are based on more than just squares and half-square triangles. the quilter is given a choice of rotary cutting or using templates (and sometimes using templates is quicker and easier than using a rotary cutting ruler).

which brings me to the charts--which are absolutely wonderful. everything is in them--illustrations of the sizes and shapes of the pieces, measurements for strip cutting, choice of rotary or template cutting, how the pieces might be sub-cut--these charts are the best i've seen. there are illustrations in grey tones of different value placements for each block. the piecing order is illustrated. the only thing lacking is a table of enlarging or reducing percentages for different sized finished blocks.

there is a section which shows some of the blocks put together to show the secondary patterns, another section is called 'having fun with assymetrical blocks.' there are several other sections dealing with design matters, including sizing with straight or diagonal settings and sashing.

templates are included, and they are drawn with points AND cutting lines for those who don't like points on their pieces. THAT'S thoughtful, detailed planning.

the projects that are included are wonderful, as you would expect from marsha mccloskey. even the color choices for the blocks are inspiring.

this is not a book for an absolute beginner, although there are very good sections about cutting and sewing. it does not include detailed instructions for construcing a quilt, though, again, what is included is first rate. however, for anyone who has made even a couple of pieced blocks, this is a bonanza.

definitely belongs in any quilter's library.

I had bought this book thinking that it would be a good refernce to add to my quilting library. However, the book mainly covers 4 and 9-patch designs, nothing along the lines of an Irish Chain or the Feathered Star that M. McCloskey is so famous for. If you want to learn to quilt, or have just started, this would be a good book to add to your home. But, if you are looking for a more challenging design, or already can take a design from another quilt and make templates and yardage calculations, you may want to look into a more advanced book.

There are lots of blocks here, and this book is a good source of inspiration. There is, however, a double-edged sword. All the block patterns included are 9-inch, which is in some sense good -- it makes it easy to put them all together, but is from another perspective bad -- it makes for some weird measurements on certain blocks (i.e. anything on a 4- or 16-patch grid rather than a 9-patch grid). So if you're only interested in using those latter types of blocks, it might be nice to do an 8- or 12-inch variation, but you have to re-draft the block yourself.

I especially appreciated the little touches in this book, like showing the variations that can be acheived in each block by rearranging light and dark fabrics, showing how some blocks can be used together to create secondary patterns, and including standard quilt size info along with fabric yardage requirements. I bought this book to use in making a scrap/memory quilt out of the leftovers of all the projects I have done for my family over the years. Since each block in the book is 9 inches finished, I can do one block at a time over a long period of time, and not worry that they won't fit together. Great book! I highly recommend it!!

A great source of ideas to design a quilt. The picture step-by-step piecing of a quilt design and the templates at the back of the book are very helpful. She also gives examples of what the square would look like if you used light or dark shades. I did wish she had more examples of combining different square designs to create a quilt.

This book is beautifully laid out, with clear instructions and color photos of all 120 blocks. Both rotary-cutting instructions and templates are provided for all block patterns. There are also suggestions on how to combine the blocks to form interesting secondary patterns, etc and ideas on layout, border and sashings. A great book.

I have many quilting books but keep returning to Marsha McCloskey's Block Party. Not only does it have beautifully colored illustrations, but several options in using the same pattern. The instructions are easy to follow and what a variety! I have made several quilts from this book and must say it is my all time favorite.

There are so many things I love about this book! First of all, the blocks range from simple to more complicated, from familiar to rarely-seen. Second, Marsha has so much good advice about all aspects of quilt making. Third, in the section of sample quilts she includes using various ones of the blocks is something for everyone, from beginner to experienced quilter. I have made three table runners and one wall hanging already and have plans to make several of the others. I couldn't recommend this book more highly!

I have over a dozen reference type books for block design and construction, but this is the best one by far. The rotary cutting directions are amazingly clear and simple. This is the one I go to first every time. I buy this as a gift for all my quilting buddies.

The blocks are wonderfully displayed and graphically understandable. This is a great book for any level of experience. A book like this is an essential part of any quilter's "tools." There are many block books on the market, but I would rate this as one of the better books.