Customer Reviews

Memories Sew Sweet (Leisure Arts #4789)

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"Memories Sew Sweet" is one darling little ditty! Author Sandy Berry serves up 14 courses of simply divine memory quilting projects that will thrill the scrapbooker in every quilter. The front cover compelled me to take this book off the store's shelf for a closer look. It features lovely modern Moda fabrics (some from the Wuthering Heights line, I believe) combined in an unusual but pleasing way with Civil War/1800s reproduction prints, all surrounding a somewhat Victorian-era photo transfer.

As I leafed further through the book, more and more color combinations caught my eye and I could feel my own imagination start to take flight. I had already decided I was definitely going to buy this book when I discovered an added bonus: Ms. Berry even includes 5 pages of vintage-style images for you to use in your projects. The idea here is that YOU embellish these images in your own style, and you don't have to look too far outside the box to realize you can use whatever images you desire. (Just keep in mind certain copyright laws!!)

Several of the projects here are larger than in other memory quilt books, finishing off at a hefty range from over 50 inches square to just above 70 inches. Smaller projects are included, plus there is a short section featuring sachets and mini-pillows. You might even recognize some of the fabrics if you have been collecting for any length of time. The fabrics in the photos will resonate mostly with the collector of floral and traditional patterns (that's me!), but you can easily use your own prefered tastes to make something really special.

You might want to know that some of the projects use the paper-piecing method of construction while others utilize rotary cutting techniques. Personally, I avoid paper-piecing except when absolutely necessary, and if you've had a bit of rotary experience you should be able to translate the paper-piecing to the rotary method.

Also, Ms. Berry's instructions and illustrations do not include arrows for pressing directions; I have come to rely on these for really accurate construction and reduced bulk. In the basic techniques section in the back of the book she does mention pressing to the darker fabric in most cases and to the lighter or pressing seams open in other cases. I just really prefer it when the instructions can tell me which way to press as part of the piecing instructions.

I have said this before in another review, but it is worth repeating: this is a Leisure Arts publication (#4789) and I have really been pleased by the quality of their more recent booklets and I am so glad they remain reasonably priced.

I am glad I got to see this book in a store so I could fully appreciate it; the images selected online here simply do not do this small treasure its due justice! (In fact, I probably would have just clicked right past this title and missed out big time.)

Gotta go - I am off to start one of the mini-pillow projects! I will try to provide a photo of my finished project.