Customer Reviews

Paula Nadelstern's Kaleidoscope Quilts: An Artist's Journey Continues

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Don't get me wrong, this is one of the most amazing and beautiful books on quilting I have ever seen. It is also one of the most unusual. If what you are looking for is an art book that is a feast for the eyes, by all means invest in this one.
However, if you think you are going to produce one of these quilts in your lifetime, think again.
Nadelstern should be teaching pure mathematics at some higher university; the fact that she has devoted herself to making these quilts is a true gift to the world of art because these pieces are high art. A quick look at the diagram on the bottom of p. 21 which, by my count, includes 27 odd (and uniquely)shaped pieces in each triangle with 18 triangles required for the quilt...everyone one of which is a different size, you begin to get an idea of the complexity of what she does.

Having said that, there are some valuable ideas here for any quilter. The first of these is her statement (p. 68) that she STARTS with the fabric rather than starting with the design. This is 180 degrees from the normal quilter's decision-making process...and I think a little more attention to what Nadelstern calls "a collaboration between me and my stash" would vastly improve about 60% of the quilts being made today.
Second, Nadelstern dares to use fabric that most quilters would dismiss as useless. And it not only works, it scintillates. PP. 79-87 (and scattered elsewhere throughout the book) you can find excellent advice on how to look at fabrics with a fresh eye.
Third, if you actually want to try this (and I would warn again that deep and broad experience is going to make this more possible), pp.90 - 121 give you step by step directions and two patterns for simple (well, relatively simple) kaleidoscope quilts.
If you want this book as a "how-to," my strong advice is to take the book out of the library or borrow it from a friend and look through it carefully, being brutally honest about your own skills and interests.
If (on the other hand) you want a book that is an inspiration in the purest sense of that word, and one of the most glorious examples of piecing and quilting that you will ever see, buy it NOW.

Reading Kaleidoscope Quilts by Paula Nadelstern is like taking a walk through the mind of one of our most unique modern quilt artists.
In the first half of the book nineteen amazing quilts are shown. Dreamy ocean blues, glowing golds and radiant reds play in dramatic symphonies of light and repeated images that entice and captivate the eye. Close up shots show exquisite details that look more like cathedral windows than pieces of fabric. As she describes the creation of each quilt in words and visuals, Paula lets the reader inside her personal creative journey. What a gift!
The second half of the book reveals a treasure trove of secrets. Paula walks the reader through her essential design techniques including lessons on symmetry, drafting and piecing. The reader learns to camouflage seams and to use the visual elements in fabric to create a shimmering dance of vibrant color in each kaleidoscope block. Best of all, the math has been done and presented in easy to use table format. Using a ruler and sewing a quarter inch seam are all the basic skills needed to be successful with this technique. Give it a try!
This book is both coffee table art book and craftsperson's how-to book bundled into one cohesive text. A must-have for the contemporary quilter.

I have been a fan of Paula's kaleidoscope quilts for almost as long as I have been quilting (over 25 years). This book is FANTASTIC! The first section shows her progression of her quilts and she also adds information about what she learned, her inspiration, ideas she used in the quilt, or life stories at the time.

One of my favorite portions of the book is the 2nd section which describes her design strategies. I am amazed at how she uses fabric. This information is useful beyond kaleidoscope quilts.

The 3rd section gives the technical details of how to make this style of quilt. The illustrations are excellent and I completely understand her techniques.

Paula is a genius of kaleidoscopes and I will continue to be a fan.

Oh, my.

Her quilts are amazing. Enjoy!

And furthermore I learned why a very simple 2-color quilt that I made recently doesn't really work. She explains that you can blend fabrics in one of her quilts in two ways. One of which is to borrow colors from the next fabric you're using.

This may sound a bit odd, but I hit my forehead with my fist and said, THAT'S WHY!
People had already told me they thought I had just used one fabric and wondered why I was showing it off as a quilt top if it was just one piece of fabric.

So Nadelstern's kaleidoscope quilts look as though they were designed and made with one material--they're not, and she's good about showing you the fabrics she's used.

And very much to my taste, they don't all look like they were designed and created on the computer. She starts the design as if it were shot through a kaleidoscope and then moves the center. That kind of thing.

And there's some kaleidoscope information here too.

The Quilting world is full of a diverse range of quilters that offer a different view and perspective on the art of quilting. And thank goodness!! Wouldn't it be boring if all quilters had the same focus, likes and dislikes. There would be no innovation, originality, creativity or freshness to inspire us.

This is where Paula Nadelstern comes in. Paula (through C&T Publishing, Inc) has just released her new book titled Kaleidoscope Quilts, An Artist's Journey Continues. Just the cover of the book makes me drool. This is definitely eye candy for the quilter. Open the book and you'll commence the most wonderful journey through the body and soul of Kaleidoscope design, right through to creation of a Kaleidoscope Quilt.

I Googled the definition of a Kaleidoscope Quilt and the definition states a continually changing pattern of shapes and colors . That certainly describes the effect that the Kaleidoscope pattern gives. It certainly looks very complicated and difficult, but I'm here to tell you Paula goes a long way to explain, in easy to understand terms how to go about creating these one of a kind heirlooms.

Fundamentally the Kaleidoscope block is made up of symmetrical triangles that are pieced together. Quite simple really. What Paula does, is to take us to the next level of thought processes to challenge ourselves and come up with a truly unique design.

The first half of this beautiful publication is taken up with the Quilt Gallery, which is a showing of some 19 quilts, complete with an overview of the creation and a selection of diagrams explaining the basic block structure.

The remainder of the book is taken up with Paula talking in depth about her piecing policy, her design strategies and the fabric that she chooses. This section alone is worth the purchase of this book. Following that, is a section on the technical side of Kaleidoscope creation including templating, drafting an angle and finishing. Paula also includes a workbook to get you started on this fabulous journey.

This publication, all 127 pages, takes you beyond your wildest dreams, and into the realms of possibility, something a lot of quilt books do not achieve. I thank Paula for this creative work that must have taken many hours of effort. It is clearly written for the basic and more advanced quilter alike, and will become a definitive book of its genre.

I am a fan of Paula Nadelstern. I first saw her on HGTV and fell in love with her quilts. I have three of her books. Her books are beautiful to look at if you never use them to make a quilt. I think this book has even more spectacular quilts/pictures than her other books, if that is possible. The instructions are very clear and easy to follow, but not for a beginner. My hope isn't to make a Kaleidoscope quilt, that would be impossible, at least for me, but to just make one or two kaleidoscopes! You can learn a lot from this book without ever making a kaleidoscope. I can't image any one buying this book and being disappointed.

I took a class from Paula Nadelstern several years back when you really had to work at her kaleidoscope designs. Paula is a great person and an excellent teacher. In more recent times her design books have become simpler and her fabrics easier to use to create the designs. This book is a reissue of an earlier book and uses her earlier techniques which require some patience. It does not show you how to make particular designs, but how to make your own kaleidoscope designs. The instructions, however, are very detailed and, if you devote the time to it, you will end up with amazing, one-of-a-kind quilt blocks, and you'll have the knowledge to go on creating more and more one-of-a-kind blocks. Definitely not for the beginning quilter, but lots of fun if you are ready for a good challenge.

For me, I'm a quilting "nut" - I can spend hours and hours at creating my blocks and months and months (years?) creating quilts. I love Paula's approach to making these kaleidoscope blocks and love this book.

This book has such beautiful pictures. You can understand her instructions although each of the quilts will be time consuming to get them just right. But, if you want to make these type quilts then you know you will have to spend time making them perfect.

I like Paula Nadelstern's quilts a lot to look at, but it is very time consuming to follow her detailed instruction and get a quilt done with a close results. So for me this book is just a looker. Maybe one day i will take one of her classes.

Paula Nadelstern's creativity continues. Her complex artistry is reduced to small increments that are able to be used by others wishing to create kaleidoscope pieces in small versions.