Paper Quilts: Turn Traditional Quilt Motifs Into Contemporary Cards and Crafts (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Fascinating us with their playful complexity and geometric precision, patchwork quilts have an appeal that has endured for centuries. Offering a new look at this age-old craft, Paper Quilts brings the beauty of traditional American patchwork to papercutters, with patterns and beloved quilt block designs adapted for paper cards, gift tags, ornaments, boxes, and garlands.

About the Author

SANDRA LOUNSBURY FOOSE, a graphic design graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, is the author of 10 other craft books. She has designed for Hallmark Cards, produced sewing projects for Vogue Patterns, and created gift items for other manufacturers. Her work has appeared in popular magazines, including Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Family Circle, Woman’s Day, and Canadian Living. She currently designs holiday cards for the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. She lives with her family in Princeton, New Jersey.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Potter Craft (October 16, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 030734147X
• ISBN-13: 978-0307341471
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #504,447 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful ideas, October 20, 2007

By	Atheen M. Wilson "Atheen" (Mpls, MN United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

My mother was a tremendously talented person, and one of the things she instilled in me was the concept of looking at one craft and extracting ideas from it for another. The cross currents of ideas produce some exceptional artwork. My mother would approve of Ms Foose.


I love paper. Really, just paper. It represents such incredible potential. Sometimes it's almost painful for me to make something of it, because that would reduce the sense of latent beauty. Sanda Lounsbury Foose's book makes it evident that until paper is used and its potential released, it really isn't anything yet.

I've had books on origami, Kirigami, and quilling, and all of them have been enjoyable. This book adds to that repertoire and reveals how cut work can be combined with folding, color, texture and design to produce some delightful cards. Although all of the cards are wonderful works of art, some of them stand out as exceptional.

One of my favorites is what the author has labled a "square on square" type, The Gordian Knot (pp. 30-31), which has the character of a Celtic knot or Islamic tiles and carved work. As the author presents it, the colors are very striking. The blue on red card is a particular eye-puncher! Those of the Islamic faith will find this an elegant design with which to decorate cards for Ramadan and other holidays.

The Double Irish Chain (pp. 22-23), in the same section, makes use of folding, windows and color to create an amazing effect. For those of you who are into making your own books or crafting old books and magazines into new art, this card, left slightly open, is a little like the accordian pleated books with a tunnel. You could easily use it in the same way.

Another favorite in this section is the Interlocked Squares (pp.32-33). I was especially fond of the decorative chains and ornaments. For those folks of the Jewish faith, the ornament looks much like a Star of David and would make nice holiday cards for special events.

In the "circle upon circle" section of the book, I liked all of the cards pictured on p. 36, which are based upon small concentric circles folded to reveal different colors and creat different patterns. Those of you who do a lot of quilting will undoubtedly recognize the motifs. My favorite of the section, is the Clam Shell pattern (pp.46-47), where either small circles or scalloped strips are arranged in something of a fishscale pattern in a window. Here an accordian fold is used to provide a glued enclosure for the design as well as a place for your greetings and messages.

My absolute favorite is the Castle Wall (pp. 98-99) design in the last section of the book, "whirling hexagons and octagon design." This is a trompe l'oeil pattern that is created by stacking several layers of colored paper, each with different sections removed. The layering produces what appears like a bird's eye view of the top of a castle tower. Wonderful.

The book is dedicated primarly to cards, but it also has some delightful paper ornaments and several lovely paper boxes--I love box designs and already have many of these from other sources but this is a nice collection for the uninitiated. Patterns for everything are given in the back, and the author is very clear about what needs to be removed or added in order to produce the designs.

A delightful book of ideas.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Christmas gift for crafters, November 9, 2007

By	Crafter "Tracy" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This is a marvelous book in the tradition of the author's work. The book builds from straightforward quilt blocks to the most elaborate designs, all in paper! The patterns and directions are clear and well-organized and the results are exquisite - it's hard to tell how they come together on first look, just like a complex quilt, they're like little visual puzzles. The author's paper cards are the kind of things that once given are kept forever.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, October 20, 2008

By	V. Masters "brayerqueen" (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews

I love this book. I have made a few cards using the designs in this book. Although it is primarily intended to be used with the patterns inside, I have had great success with punches too.