12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Culturally and artistically rich, December 30, 2002
This review is from: Treasures Underfoot : Quilting With Manhole Covers - Round 2 (Paperback)
Several years ago I reviewed the first book of manhole cover quilts, finding it the most unique collection of quilt designs I'd seen in a long time. The premise of that book, and its successor collection, Treasures Underfoot, is the translation of the many municipal manhole covers of Japan into fiber art. The Japanese make something of a fine art of designing coverings for the holes in their streets and sidewalks, and each community takes great pride in its contribution to the genre. MacGregor's extension of the idea was to get these designs off the street and into quilts, and she enlisted the talents of quilters world-wide to assist her. In this beautifully-produced and self-published volume, MacGregor features dozens of new manhole cover designs, along with thumbnails of the communities that created them. Each one is then enriched by interpretation by a quilter and a rendering in fabric. Some of the interpretations try to be true to the original design, while others use elements of the design as inspiration for something new. Either way, the result is beautiful and fascinating. The book does not include projects with detailed instructions, but there is enough information and illustration to make it possible for any quilter who chooses to try her hand at one of these round treasures. And this is one of the best introductions to Japanese culture that I know! Kudos to Shirley MacGregor for making this volume even richer than the last.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Impressively Unique!, November 3, 2001
This review is from: Treasures Underfoot : Quilting With Manhole Covers - Round 2 (Paperback)
I also own MacGregor's first book. The quality of the paper in the second book dramatically enhances the presentation of the manhole covers and quilts. Though I am not a quilter, this book can still be appreciated for its artistic and cultural richness. In fact, I have a custom made stain glass piece hanging in my living room, with the design from one of the manhole cover patterns in the first book. I like the geographic descriptions of the cities and towns around Japan, having visited a few in the past. The colors in her book are spectacular, and I love the way she has shown different interpretations of each pattern. All in all, this book makes me want to visit every manhole cover in it!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Suitable as a design source for all crafters, not just quilters, January 6, 2012
This review is from: Treasures Underfoot : Quilting With Manhole Covers - Round 2 (Paperback)
I agree wholeheartedly with the previous reviewers. I, too, have her first book and got this one sight unseen because I liked that one so much. Her first book is well worth getting - check the second-hand book market. ISBN 9780967143354. Amazon has it:
Quilting With Manhole Covers - A Treasure Trove of Unique Designs from the Streets of JapanI have a lot of books on quilting plus many others for design ideas. Frankly, I like beautiful, inspiring books. Although this one does not contain quilt construction information, I've got tons of books that do, and that information is easily acquired elsewhere anyway. What this book uniquely provides is the inspiration and thought process from seeing a black and white outline/design to creating it in cloth (plus of course, the designs themselves). The designs are printed in sufficient detail for what you need to create an applique design. Another valuable aspect is that the quilts and insights are from many different people, providing multiple viewpoints of the design process. A nice feature of this book compared to her first one is that the designs are presented both in black and white and colored-in versions.
There are other books in the area of quilt design process, but Shirley's books are in a class of their own. Searching on "manhole", I located other books on quilting w/ manhole cover designs, but I haven't seen them. Perhaps another reviewer who has might provide us a comparison?
Also as mentioned, the book (actually, true of both of them) even though softbound is very sturdily constructed, with endflaps on the covers and thick, glossy paper.
Even if you never make a quilt or use the designs in other ways, you'll enjoy reading this book for the beautiful pictures and interesting photos and information on the communities from which the manhole covers come. Think of it as a combined armchair tour of Japan and visit to a quilt show.
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