Material Obsession: Modern Quilts with Traditional Roots [Paperback]

Sarah Fielke (Author), Kathy Doughty (Author), Kaffe Fassett (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2009

Kathy Doughty and Sarah Fielke, owners of the popular quilting shop Material Obsession in Sydney, Australia, bring an unconventional spirit to a traditional craft. They encourage quilters to use bold patterns and unusual color combinations, and to trust their instincts rather than follow rigid rules.

 

In Material Obsession, Doughty and Fielke present 23 vibrant quilt patterns that appear fresh and modern, but are often based on traditional designs. They explain how any quilter, novice or seasoned, can create striking variations of their own by seeking inspiration from both the fabric in front of them and the world around them. Patterns are arranged in order of difficulty, from easy to advanced, and a techniques section fully describes the basics of patchwork and quilting. Material Obsession provides quilters with everything they need to put a modern twist on an age-old craft—and to express their own creative spirits while they’re at it.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sarah Fielke and Kathy Doughty own the popular quilt shop Material Obsession, in Sydney, Australia. They draw a huge international fan base via their popular website and blog, www.materialobsession.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: STC Craft/A Melanie Falick Book (March 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584797525
• ISBN-13: 978-1584797524
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #228,140 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Its a wonderful book, but be aware March 7, 2009

By Merete Vatshelle

Format:Paperback

First of all, I just want to say that it is a wonderful book, with lots of lovely and inspiring text and pictures. But I have to say I was a bit disappointed when I realised that it was exactly the same book as 'Material Obsession - Contemporary quilt designs', which I bought a year ago. I was so excited when a saw there was a new book coming, but when I got it - it was just a new publisher and front.

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this book..... March 7, 2009

By Constance L. Slack

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

....if you love fabrics, admire all the new designs of fabrics on the market as well as the traditional, and just plain love the art of quilting. For three days after receiving this book, I picked it up to read whenever possible and felt my fingers itching to create any one of the quilts shown in the book. This book is not a "cookbook" of quilt patterns showing a particular look in piecework or to teach a certain type of quilting. Instead, the authors encourage the readers to ignore "boundaries" in the creation of quilts, and to follow their own instincts and preferences in the matter of fabric, color, thread, and even the mechanics of the quilting process. The resulting quilts are not heavily stylized, but have a homey, comfortable look, similar to an antique quilt.

Each quilt shown in "Material Obsession, ranging in level of difficulty from easy to advanced, has instructions for piecing using the colors shown in the quilt, but suggestions are given throughout the book about different colorways to consider in certain patterns, or pointing out that a particular color of fabric may be needed to give the quilt a certain "punch" of color. Also helpful is a statement by the writers regarding the "idea" behind the making of each quilt, which can help provide a creative spark for the readers who want to use a favorite fabric or a grouping of fabric scraps.

The book ends with a quilter's reference section, the need of which in a quilting book can often be considered debatable by an experienced quilter. However, the reference section works in this book, due to the increasing level of difficulty of the quilt patterns shown in this book, and the need for knowledge of certain skills in hand quilting, applique, and piecing shapes such as diamonds and hexagons.

Since the book contains a foreword by Kaffe Fassett, don't be surprised to see a picture or two of shelves of fabric, most of Kaffe's own designs. If you are a Kaffe Fassett fabric lover, this is just icing on the cake. However, Kaffe's fabrics do not dominate in the quilt designs in the book; it is fun to looks at the quilts and see how many different current designer fabrics you can spot in the quilts, and see how many you may already have in your fabric stash.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Will wake up your color sense! June 4, 2009

By Ada

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

The authors are Austrailian and the quilts they made are so colorful and the pattern combinations so different from my more subdued tastes that I was really inspired to "let go" and enjoy the color explosion in this book. I liked what they did with the quilt patterns with their whimsical touches. This is a keeper, especially for color inspiration.