String Quilts: Sustainable Patchwork Projects Using Fabric Scraps

by Carolyn Forster

Sustainable quilts made from your well loved items with the design inspiration of Carolyn Forster.

Many quilters are rediscovering a range of traditional patchwork and quilting techniques that, at their heart, are based on recycling and reusing materials. A style of patchwork that is true to this ethos, and which has been around for centuries, is string patchwork with its use of sewn fabric strips. Due to the scrap nature of string quilts, they are good for using a wide range and eclectic mix of fabrics that, otherwise, would have gathered dust in the corner of a room.

Best-selling author, teacher and quilter Carolyn Forster will show you how to:

• Transform old clothes and bedding, off-cuts and once-loved furnishing fabrics into 10 beautiful string patchwork quilts
• To create easily your favourite designs with an array of scraps featuring traditional blocks
• Ensure nothing goes to waste - included here are 8 little gifts and accessories to make with the leftovers from your quilt-making including a needle case, a quilt-notions pouch, a table runner and duffel bag.

A small section on all the materials and notions to get started, plus an invaluable techniques chapter, is included.

Quilters will have everything they need to create planet-conscious quilts, and in the process celebrate old quilt and patchwork methods from quilters of yore.

Genres: Quilting, Crafts

176 pages, Paperback

Published April 2, 2024

Reviews

[Susan Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing, 176 page book. Brilliantly packed with information, photos, diagrams and instructions. The initial sections: introduction, history, what you will need, piecing and sewing, appliqué, basic string design layers, tacking and basting, quilting, binding and labelling and aftercare are excellent and these are followed by all of the amazing projects. Luckily, all of the templates are 100% to scale, making this a must if you want to be able to use all of your scraps in the projects.

[Alyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I plan to buy this book because it's the exact ethos I share and nary a mention of using technology and all the hustle culture of social media and ways to sell your work.
Just glorious patterns. I also know I am not a paper piecing quilter, so I loved the very slow art of this kind of quilting.

Learned the "stitch and flip" technique which (I think) is more my style.

Favorite quotes:
"If you can't be rich, be resourceful."

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."

[Sandi Millichip-Massocchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

String Quilts by Carolyn Forster
This is a ‘beauty’ of a book by Carolyn Forster.
As you come to expect from Carolyn, her books are always a quality publication. Firstly it is a very comprehensive book on string quilts, printed on beautiful matt paper with stunning vintage pictures and styling.
The first section of the book gives you an amazing insight into the history of string quilts, which were made from scraps and ‘epitomizes economy and resourcefulness’. Both these topics are close to my heart as I too make memory keepsakes and quilts from my customers clothing.
Anybody who sews always has a ‘scrap bag’ of beautiful bits of material left from the projects they have created. This book offers so many ways of using those precious scraps from applique to a full sized quilt. Each chapter is a wealth of information, from how to cut up a shirt, to layering, tacking and basting, through to hand quilting and machine quilting.
There are so many projects that I would like to try out, from the Vintage Crumb Log Cabin through to the Stars and Stripes Spiders Web, it’s just knowing which one to start with first.
I love the fact there are full sized templates included, enabling you to start your chosen project straight away. If you don’t want to cut the templates out, Carolyn has kindly added free digital downloads of the templates.
I would highly recommend this book for both beginners and advanced sewers. There really is a project here for everyone.
The feel of the book entices you to browse through time and time again and would grace any coffee table. At £15.99 it is a snip!

[s c heath · Rating 5 out of 5]

String Quilts  -  Carolyn Forster


A beautiful book to leave out on your coffee table, to pick up and be inspired to use all those fabric scraps you have accumulated.


  This is a nice A4 size book with a rustic cover photograph which invites you to view the 10 quilts and 5 gifts & accessory pages.

It is a comprehensive book beginning with the history of string quilts, which then leads onto a number of sections on how to produce your string quilt. Including the equipment you will need and the techniques involved.


There are very clear steps with supporting photographs to guide you.


I found the quilting information extremely interesting and useful and covers both machine and hand quilting.


The projects have been produced in lovely vintage type colours and fabrics and the photographs have been taken in rural settings.


Beautiful traditional quilts, pieced and appliqued, each project has a forward from Carolyn.


I never knew you could make something with your thread catchers, what a super idea, particularly for those interested in textile art.


The book is printed on quality matt thick paper, the photographs and diagrams are clear, with the printing easy to read and follow the steps. The pages have aged shading to divide the parts.


This is a fabulous book that I would be happy to receive and to gift to my quilting friends, including beginners and for the more experienced ones. 

A beautifully produced book. 

I highly recommend it. 

[Juliet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carolyn Forster’s String Quilts is a comprehensive, helpful book. You can feel Carolyn’s passion for quilting within the pages. It covers topics such as tacking & basting, appliqué, using freezer paper, piecing, cutting, sewing, equipment & notions, hand-stitching, machine quilting, binding and aftercare and lots more including interesting info on the history of string quilts.

Half of the book is filled with quilt designs, patterns and all the info you need to make them along with some templates. Although Carolyn’s finished quilts look superb it doesn’t put me off having a go myself (and I’m not an experienced quilter!)

The book isn’t printed on shiny paper so there’s no glare when reading the pages and the step-by-step instructions, clear photographs, and use of “scrap” fabric make the projects do-able. My thread-savers are rag tag bits of fabric, but Carolyn’s are so neat she’s able to make hers into gift tags as demonstrated in the book – wonderful.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book by Carolyn Forster. Loved reading about the history of String Quilts and how they use up scraps of fabric, (I have loads to use and this is the ideal way to use them). Maybe not as many quilt patterns as other books but once you know how to make a String Quilt then patterns should be quite easy to make up yourself. This is the ultimate way of recycling of fabric whether new or used or both in the same quilt.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Years and years ago, I made a string quilt. It became a gift and I forgot all about string quilts. Happily, I learned about Carolyn Forster’s book through a GoodReads review. “String Quilts: Sustainable Patchwork Projects Using Fabric Scraps” is just what I needed to help me move on to several different ways to use up my fabric scraps. There’s good information for beginners and inspiration for people who have lots of scraps.

[Jennifer L · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an avid collector of scraps, I love this book! The first 87 pages are filled with everything you need to know to be successful, followed by 80 pages of inspiration and projects. Each project is well laid out with notes and tips, project requirements, step-by-step instructions, and beautiful photographs. If you love using every last scrap of fabric to make something, this book is for you!

[Brenda Clayville · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has lots of tips, great ideas for scraps and lots of options to use one pattern in different combos to give a quilt many different looks from one technique. It makes you want to get out your scraps and see what cool pattern will be the end project. Happy sewing everyone.

[Mmfniteowl · Rating 4 out of 5]

several good patterns and good ideas

[Tyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Library book. Kept as long as possible. I would like to buy this book!

[Candy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, inspiring.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Step-by-step instructions for the hand- or machine-sewist endeavoring to make a string quilt. Beautiful illustrations for beginner and experienced sewists.