Quilt Studio : Innovative Techniques for Confident and Creative Quiltmaking and Design [Paperback]

Pauline Burbidge (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 11, 2000

Perfect for beginners who are fast learners or have a background in arts or crafts, "Quilt Studio is a uniquely inspiring introduction to quiltmaking. It combines simple quiltmaking methods with unusually inventive techniques, all illustrated through stunning, one-of-a-kind quilts. Pauline Burbidge--one of the top names in quiltmaking today--covers all of the basics for both hand and machine quilters and then moves you quickly on to explore a variety of innovative design options.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies (May 11, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0844220825
• ISBN-13: 978-0844220826
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #854,176 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, January 15, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Quilt Studio : Innovative Techniques for Confident and Creative Quiltmaking and Design (Paperback)

I ordered this book sight unseen, since the description of it sounded like the kind of quilting book I most cherish: one with an emphasis on originality and creativity, but that was more than just a coffee-table book. I am always looking for books that combine inspiration with how-to.

I really wanted to like it when it arrived but of all the many art quilt books I own it is the most irritating. The author's style seems to have frozen in place sometime back in about 1980, when very graphics-influenced quilts in cool solids were all the rage. I get the impression that the author bought about 5 giant bolts of solid blue, black, and white sometime around then and has been using them since. I keep trying to overlook the photos and concentrate on the text but the information is too scattered and poorly organized to really be of much help. I get the feeling the author takes herself very very seriously as an artist and that this book is more about her creative ego than about quilting. If you are in the market for a wonderful book combining technique with artistry, you're much better off with Quilting Masterclass.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great read for the quilter interested in design, June 18, 2001

By 

richard bostwick (Tucson, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Quilt Studio : Innovative Techniques for Confident and Creative Quiltmaking and Design (Paperback)

I was interested in reading this book because it is one of the few quilting books that discusses quilting design. When I first picked it up to glance at the pretty pictures, my jaw dropped at some of these quilts that Pauline Burbidge has put together. She has created some fabulous images using a variety of techniques. I was especially impressed with her three dimensional designs and her use of color.

This book is organized into workshop sections under two subject headings. The first part of the book deals with technique and the second with design. She begins with a basic lesson on making templates, a skill that most modern quilters seem to have moved away from. While making templates can be cumbersome and time consuming there really is no substitute for precision piecing. Many of Pauline's designs have to be precisely seamed for the effect to work. She briefly discusses sewing angled and curved seams as well.

From there she moves onto an applique workshop. She creates elaborate fabric "collages" using applique embellished with stitching. This chapter is followed by a discussion of quilting and assembly techniques. One topic that I found interesting is the way she machine quilts in sections and then assembles the whole quilt rather than dealing with the bulk of an entire quilt at one time.

The final workshop in the Techniques section is one on fabric dyeing and painting. All of the quilts pictured in the book are made with solid colored fabrics rather than prints and if you have ever looked at the supply available in a fabric store, you know that the selections are pretty basic and rather limited. She solved this problem by learning to dye her own fabrics.

The design section of the book is fascinating to read and the photos that accompany the text are works of art. She has workshops on strip piecing, geometric three-dimensional design, and making fabric collages. Each technique is completely different and she makes it look so simple I wanted to rush right out and start a new project. The only thing lacking was that when she discussed three dimensional design, she did not give any tips for assembling the blocks so I have had to resort to scrutinizing the photos to figure out how they were put together.

There is one exercise that I think is absolutely essential to do and that is her Color and Image Collecting Workshop. Color is such an important aspect of quiltmaking and I think very often quilters are intimidated by color selection and do not have a good sense of what colors complement each other and how to create contrast in the right place and end up with quilts that are put together beautifully but are just seem to be missing something. Pauline Burbidge's quilts are an eyeful and her choices of color are breathtaking and bold at times.

This book is a good read for those interested in creating quilts as an artistic expression of themselves.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Quilting Workshop in a Book, July 21, 2000

By 

Patty Zafred (Murrysville, PA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Quilt Studio : Innovative Techniques for Confident and Creative Quiltmaking and Design (Paperback)

For the experienced and novice quilter alike, this book takes you step by step through the process Pauline Burbidge uses in creating her spectacular quilts. Both innovative piecing techniques and quilting ideas are included, along with color workshops, some dyeing and painting tips and collage work. The book itself is slick, beautifully produced and full of lively, inspiring color photography. For contemporary and traditional quilters, this book would is a great at home workshop to follow chapter by chapter. Learning just one or two of her techniques or concepts would make investing in this book worthwhile.