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Quilter's Academy Vol 1–Freshman Year: A Skill-building Course In Quiltmaking
Bonus 13 Projects! Start your quiltmaking adventures out right with nine classes on quilting basics.
115 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
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April 5, 2011I have mixed feelings about this book. The idea is GREAT. I applaud the idea, especially in light of the recent Piecemeal Quilts controversy. There is a lot of good information in the book and I think it fills a need. As an experienced quiltmaker, I was pleased to learn some tips and tricks.
My two concerns are the tone and discussion of fabric. The tone is bossy, very much "my way or the highway" and I am concerned that new quiltmakers, without other local resources, would be overwhelmed by the content and, then, turned off by the tone. I am pretty sensitive to tone, so others may not notice.
I was hooked on the book from page 4 after reading "A Note from Harriet." She says "...there are many classes taught as projects, but the basic skills needed to really understand the process are severely lacking." When I read this I thought about the Sampler quilt class I took and how we learned butting seams, matching points, curves, triangles, etc. I am sad that quiltmaking isn't taught using sampler quilts very much anymore. At some point , I think every quiltmaker would benefit from a Sampler class, but I understand that time is valuable and people are busy.
The book is broken up into classes, which cover everything from setting up an ironing area, sewing machine, selection and presser feet to piecing and binding your quilt.
The sewing machine section is biased towards Bernina machines. While the authors make some valid points about drop in bobbins, they don't discuss ways around them. I have successfully made quilts on a Janome machine for years.
There are multiple projects in this book. Ironically, the projects are not Sampler quilts. The authors do, however, use the projects well to teach skills, and may use the ideas from Sampler classes in future books. Each project has full directions. It is nice not to have to refer to previous pages to find the basics of one step. I applaud C&T for adding this extra information.
The step outs, drawings, charts and tip boxes are all very well done. They also break up the page, making the information easier to digest.
There is a comprehensive section on rotary cutting which covers the cutter, mats and rulers. The ruler section is expanded to discuss basic sizes, slippage prevention and measuring guides. One major omission is a discussion of the placement of the ruler. There is some discussion about it on page 19, but the extent of it is "align the line of the measurement you desire with the cut edge." Harriet Hargrave and Carrie Hargrave don't say anything taking the width of the ruler's line into consideration. While this might be a picky detail, tricky because of different rulers on the market, and not important, I think it might be worthy of a few paragraphs.
Harriet Hargrave and Carrie Hargrave repeat information in different places where relevant. We don't learn something the first time we hear it, so the repetition is helpful.
One thing I found helpful was the thread and needle size chart on page 21. They also talk about thread size, which is something I can never hear often enough.
Harriet and Carrie also give a definition for a scant quarter inch and why to use it, which is not only helpful, but also interesting. They give a variety of options for creating a quarter inch seam, which is useful for the wide variety of machines in use.
I like the way the Hargraves talk about the tools. In Class 140, their topic is upgrading a sewing area, a subject quiltmakers start to thinking about when they get a little piecing under their belt. Lighting, irons, ergonomics and useful gadgets are also discussed. The authors mention starch, but don't mention that some types can attract bugs.
One topic covered that many quilt books skip is drafting. Class 150 covers the foundation of drafting quilt blocks. While I don't agree with Harriet's assertion about quilt software, I am glad to see this section included, because I believe that if you can dissect a block, you can piece it. My drafting habits include both graph paper and EQ7.
In Class 120, the authors talk all about fabric. They prepare their fabric in ways that I never have, but may have to try. One tip in this section that gave me pause said, "for beginners, Carrie recommends sticking with safe colors." (pg.15) In fairness, most of this tip discussed transferance of dye, however I really think the maker should love the colors with which they are working.
There are a lot of good pictures of groups of fabric. In this section the authors' opinions definitely come through. In Freddy Moran's book, Freddy's House, she uses all dots and bright colors in every quilt. In Quilter's Academy Vol. 1Freshman Year: A SkillBuilding Course in Quiltmaking, Hargrave says about dots "Dots can add interest, but as with calicoes, too many can become very busy and detract from the design of the quilt. The fewer fabrics your quilt design has, the more important it becomes to limit the use of this type of print. (pg.69) Hargrave likes small prints and suggests their use frequently. She does mention large prints and gives standard observations and advice for using them. I would suggest that readers read this section carefully and consider the advice, but to buy fabric that will be enjoyable to work with and pleasing to the eye.
Harriet Hargrave and Carrie Hargrave include a section on color in this book. I don't agree with everything they write, but I applaud the inclusion. My main quibble is the style of the fabric. I am a bright and bold fabric kind of girl. I know that the fabrics I love will go out of style or look dated, so perhaps the authors' choices were picked so the book wouldn't look dated in a few years. The authors comment that neutrals will enhance any quilt is a bit of a stretch, in my opinion, but if the Hargraves consider red and turquoise to be neutrals in some circumstances, then I am on board with these comments. ;-)
Harriet Hargrave and Carrie Hargrave give some basic color terminology and show a color wheel, which in the context of the rest of the book makes the color subject matter not scary.
I really liked the section on value (pg.71), especially the examples of light colors looking medium when placed next to a dark fabric and medium fabrics looking dark depending on what colors/values they are placed near. It is a really important point and one exercise that is good for quilt playtime. You can use scraps to test out this theory.
The authors give good advice about selecting colors in the "Design Elements: Color" section (pg.70). They suggest NOT to assume you have 'trouble with color' if you are not happy with your quilt's end result. They suggest looking at it critically and figuring out what you don't like before you assume you are not a colorist. They have specific elements to look for that the maker might want to change with future quilts. Hargrave reminds us to trust our instincts, which is very good advice. I think the section above is one of the most important in the book.
I did like the section on precision piecing (nine patch, pg.74). It was really good. The quilt lesson that follows reinforces the precision piecing skills.
I like books where I can look at the pictures and identify the blocks in the quilt examples. Some of the quilt photos in this book are not in high enough resolution to do that. However, the authors have provided a colored line drawing for each block in the various project sections, which is helpful.
I would have liked to have seen the various projects done in an alternate color way (gallery in the back?). I think such a feature would show beginners the variety of possibilities in a single design.
I learned a lot from the border section. The section has good examples on measuring for mitered borders. One thing I read in this section was about choosing types of borders (butted or mitered) (pg.98). The comment made me realize that the authors have sprinkled design advice throughout the book. In lieu of a design section, which might intimidate beginners, the design advice is offered where it is needed. Great feature.
The authors have had a shop and taught for years. Part of their tone seems to be that "this is a job." One lack in this book is communicating the joy of quiltmaking. Quiltmaking should be fun.
The book could use a glossary and index.
All in all, I think this is very useful book, despite my concerns about tone and fabric. At a minimum there are very useful section that would help any level of quiltmaker hone her skills. At a maximum, a determined newbie could gain good skills from this book. I plan to take a look at Quilter's Academy Vol. 2Sophomore Year: A SkillBuilding Course In Quiltmaking.
My two concerns are the tone and discussion of fabric. The tone is bossy, very much "my way or the highway" and I am concerned that new quiltmakers, without other local resources, would be overwhelmed by the content and, then, turned off by the tone. I am pretty sensitive to tone, so others may not notice.
I was hooked on the book from page 4 after reading "A Note from Harriet." She says "...there are many classes taught as projects, but the basic skills needed to really understand the process are severely lacking." When I read this I thought about the Sampler quilt class I took and how we learned butting seams, matching points, curves, triangles, etc. I am sad that quiltmaking isn't taught using sampler quilts very much anymore. At some point , I think every quiltmaker would benefit from a Sampler class, but I understand that time is valuable and people are busy.
The book is broken up into classes, which cover everything from setting up an ironing area, sewing machine, selection and presser feet to piecing and binding your quilt.
The sewing machine section is biased towards Bernina machines. While the authors make some valid points about drop in bobbins, they don't discuss ways around them. I have successfully made quilts on a Janome machine for years.
There are multiple projects in this book. Ironically, the projects are not Sampler quilts. The authors do, however, use the projects well to teach skills, and may use the ideas from Sampler classes in future books. Each project has full directions. It is nice not to have to refer to previous pages to find the basics of one step. I applaud C&T for adding this extra information.
The step outs, drawings, charts and tip boxes are all very well done. They also break up the page, making the information easier to digest.
There is a comprehensive section on rotary cutting which covers the cutter, mats and rulers. The ruler section is expanded to discuss basic sizes, slippage prevention and measuring guides. One major omission is a discussion of the placement of the ruler. There is some discussion about it on page 19, but the extent of it is "align the line of the measurement you desire with the cut edge." Harriet Hargrave and Carrie Hargrave don't say anything taking the width of the ruler's line into consideration. While this might be a picky detail, tricky because of different rulers on the market, and not important, I think it might be worthy of a few paragraphs.
Harriet Hargrave and Carrie Hargrave repeat information in different places where relevant. We don't learn something the first time we hear it, so the repetition is helpful.
One thing I found helpful was the thread and needle size chart on page 21. They also talk about thread size, which is something I can never hear often enough.
Harriet and Carrie also give a definition for a scant quarter inch and why to use it, which is not only helpful, but also interesting. They give a variety of options for creating a quarter inch seam, which is useful for the wide variety of machines in use.
I like the way the Hargraves talk about the tools. In Class 140, their topic is upgrading a sewing area, a subject quiltmakers start to thinking about when they get a little piecing under their belt. Lighting, irons, ergonomics and useful gadgets are also discussed. The authors mention starch, but don't mention that some types can attract bugs.
One topic covered that many quilt books skip is drafting. Class 150 covers the foundation of drafting quilt blocks. While I don't agree with Harriet's assertion about quilt software, I am glad to see this section included, because I believe that if you can dissect a block, you can piece it. My drafting habits include both graph paper and EQ7.
In Class 120, the authors talk all about fabric. They prepare their fabric in ways that I never have, but may have to try. One tip in this section that gave me pause said, "for beginners, Carrie recommends sticking with safe colors." (pg.15) In fairness, most of this tip discussed transferance of dye, however I really think the maker should love the colors with which they are working.
There are a lot of good pictures of groups of fabric. In this section the authors' opinions definitely come through. In Freddy Moran's book, Freddy's House, she uses all dots and bright colors in every quilt. In Quilter's Academy Vol. 1Freshman Year: A SkillBuilding Course in Quiltmaking, Hargrave says about dots "Dots can add interest, but as with calicoes, too many can become very busy and detract from the design of the quilt. The fewer fabrics your quilt design has, the more important it becomes to limit the use of this type of print. (pg.69) Hargrave likes small prints and suggests their use frequently. She does mention large prints and gives standard observations and advice for using them. I would suggest that readers read this section carefully and consider the advice, but to buy fabric that will be enjoyable to work with and pleasing to the eye.
Harriet Hargrave and Carrie Hargrave include a section on color in this book. I don't agree with everything they write, but I applaud the inclusion. My main quibble is the style of the fabric. I am a bright and bold fabric kind of girl. I know that the fabrics I love will go out of style or look dated, so perhaps the authors' choices were picked so the book wouldn't look dated in a few years. The authors comment that neutrals will enhance any quilt is a bit of a stretch, in my opinion, but if the Hargraves consider red and turquoise to be neutrals in some circumstances, then I am on board with these comments. ;-)
Harriet Hargrave and Carrie Hargrave give some basic color terminology and show a color wheel, which in the context of the rest of the book makes the color subject matter not scary.
I really liked the section on value (pg.71), especially the examples of light colors looking medium when placed next to a dark fabric and medium fabrics looking dark depending on what colors/values they are placed near. It is a really important point and one exercise that is good for quilt playtime. You can use scraps to test out this theory.
The authors give good advice about selecting colors in the "Design Elements: Color" section (pg.70). They suggest NOT to assume you have 'trouble with color' if you are not happy with your quilt's end result. They suggest looking at it critically and figuring out what you don't like before you assume you are not a colorist. They have specific elements to look for that the maker might want to change with future quilts. Hargrave reminds us to trust our instincts, which is very good advice. I think the section above is one of the most important in the book.
I did like the section on precision piecing (nine patch, pg.74). It was really good. The quilt lesson that follows reinforces the precision piecing skills.
I like books where I can look at the pictures and identify the blocks in the quilt examples. Some of the quilt photos in this book are not in high enough resolution to do that. However, the authors have provided a colored line drawing for each block in the various project sections, which is helpful.
I would have liked to have seen the various projects done in an alternate color way (gallery in the back?). I think such a feature would show beginners the variety of possibilities in a single design.
I learned a lot from the border section. The section has good examples on measuring for mitered borders. One thing I read in this section was about choosing types of borders (butted or mitered) (pg.98). The comment made me realize that the authors have sprinkled design advice throughout the book. In lieu of a design section, which might intimidate beginners, the design advice is offered where it is needed. Great feature.
The authors have had a shop and taught for years. Part of their tone seems to be that "this is a job." One lack in this book is communicating the joy of quiltmaking. Quiltmaking should be fun.
The book could use a glossary and index.
All in all, I think this is very useful book, despite my concerns about tone and fabric. At a minimum there are very useful section that would help any level of quiltmaker hone her skills. At a maximum, a determined newbie could gain good skills from this book. I plan to take a look at Quilter's Academy Vol. 2Sophomore Year: A SkillBuilding Course In Quiltmaking.
June 7, 2011
For my review of Quilter's Academy Volume 1: Freshman Year, I really can't help myself but to say, read Jaye's review. Really. Jaye gives a very comprehensive look at the book and reading her review is what convinced me to not only buy volume 1, but 2 and 3 as well. That's not to say that Jaye's review is unequivocally glowing. Rather she points out high points as well as things she has a quibble with, which I really appreciate.
I had debated buying Volume 1 for some time because I've been quiltmaking long enough that it didn't seem like the book would have much in it that I didn't already either know or have in other books. I do consistently send myself back to "quilting boot camp," as I call it; a back to basics time when I reconnect with my 1/4" seam and pressing habits, etc., to fix bad habits I've gotten into. So, to that end, I'm not at all adverse to finding another good beginners' reference text. After reading Jaye's review, I decided Volume 1 could supplement what I already had in other skill-building books. And she's right.
While I've not taken the time to work through any of the lessons in Volume 1, just reading through it has helped remind me of things I'd begun taking for granted or brought out a new way of looking things. For example, I'd never thought about the difference lighting might make to my piecing accuracy until reading page 22, which they pointed out the difference between light coming from one side of you versus the other side; if you start piecing in the morning with light coming from the side and end at night with light coming from above, you will perceive the position of needle, foot, and fabric differently.
I will say that I really dislike the way they start lesson 150 on drafting. I have no problem with suggesting quilters should learn how to draft something on graph paper. I have huge problems with someone suggesting that computer-aided design is "doing what you're told." If someone has ever tried to design a quilt in EQ, they know that it's not just done for you! They're simply different tools for doing the same thing, in my opinion. I parted ways sharply with the Hargraves in that paragraph. Again, I didn't have any issue with the rest of the lesson--it's all as applicable whether you've got a pencil or a mouse in your hand. (To be fair, they did back-pedal a bit in later paragraphs where they tried to cover their tracks by saying computer-aided design programs were very good tools, but it felt more like an editor later saying, "Wait, we can't afford to tick off the EQ community!" and trying to soften things a little.)
As Jaye also points out, the section on fabric and color is very well done. They point out that just because you don't like the end results of a quilt, that doesn't mean you aren't good at putting together colors. They give you suggestions for analyzing the quilt so you can learn from it. And then they include this very wise comment, "Not everyone likes the same kind of feeling in a quilt, so don't ask someone else how to fix the problem until you know what the problem is for you." How many of us have stories about a quilt with a fabric that someone else talked us into using because they felt it was "just what the quilt needed," but we've never actually liked it? A quilt is about what you like, what works for you. I love the fact the Hargraves emphasize that in this book (despite the many places where they come across a bit quilt-policey).
Despite my own quibbles, I do think, overall, this is a very worthwhile book. I have no doubt that if you had the commitment to work your way through it, your skills would improve drastically and you'd be successful.
I had debated buying Volume 1 for some time because I've been quiltmaking long enough that it didn't seem like the book would have much in it that I didn't already either know or have in other books. I do consistently send myself back to "quilting boot camp," as I call it; a back to basics time when I reconnect with my 1/4" seam and pressing habits, etc., to fix bad habits I've gotten into. So, to that end, I'm not at all adverse to finding another good beginners' reference text. After reading Jaye's review, I decided Volume 1 could supplement what I already had in other skill-building books. And she's right.
While I've not taken the time to work through any of the lessons in Volume 1, just reading through it has helped remind me of things I'd begun taking for granted or brought out a new way of looking things. For example, I'd never thought about the difference lighting might make to my piecing accuracy until reading page 22, which they pointed out the difference between light coming from one side of you versus the other side; if you start piecing in the morning with light coming from the side and end at night with light coming from above, you will perceive the position of needle, foot, and fabric differently.
I will say that I really dislike the way they start lesson 150 on drafting. I have no problem with suggesting quilters should learn how to draft something on graph paper. I have huge problems with someone suggesting that computer-aided design is "doing what you're told." If someone has ever tried to design a quilt in EQ, they know that it's not just done for you! They're simply different tools for doing the same thing, in my opinion. I parted ways sharply with the Hargraves in that paragraph. Again, I didn't have any issue with the rest of the lesson--it's all as applicable whether you've got a pencil or a mouse in your hand. (To be fair, they did back-pedal a bit in later paragraphs where they tried to cover their tracks by saying computer-aided design programs were very good tools, but it felt more like an editor later saying, "Wait, we can't afford to tick off the EQ community!" and trying to soften things a little.)
As Jaye also points out, the section on fabric and color is very well done. They point out that just because you don't like the end results of a quilt, that doesn't mean you aren't good at putting together colors. They give you suggestions for analyzing the quilt so you can learn from it. And then they include this very wise comment, "Not everyone likes the same kind of feeling in a quilt, so don't ask someone else how to fix the problem until you know what the problem is for you." How many of us have stories about a quilt with a fabric that someone else talked us into using because they felt it was "just what the quilt needed," but we've never actually liked it? A quilt is about what you like, what works for you. I love the fact the Hargraves emphasize that in this book (despite the many places where they come across a bit quilt-policey).
Despite my own quibbles, I do think, overall, this is a very worthwhile book. I have no doubt that if you had the commitment to work your way through it, your skills would improve drastically and you'd be successful.
August 8, 2013
Recently I discovered Harriet Hargrave's Quilter's Academy series of books. Perfecto! Harriet is a highly respected, trailblazing machine quilter and author who has been teaching and inspiring new quilters since the 1980s. I have her other books, and didn't know whether any of the information in this Freshman Year volume would be new to me, but I was pleasantly surprised. Not only did I find lots of new-to-me information to highlight in this book, but it's also an absolutely ideal textbook for teaching the fundamentals of quilting to bright students of any age -- this is the Gifted and Talented workbook of quilting!
When my mother and I took a class with Harriet a few months ago at the North Carolina Quilt Symposium, she talked to the class about a disturbing trend away from beginner classes that teach fundamentals in favor of project-based, "quilt in a day" type classes. This approach gives new quilters the satisfaction of making a quilt right away, but can leave them ignorant of the basics of precision cutting, accurate piecing, color and design theory, and drafting. After several classes, the student may have made several entire quilts, but is unable to apply what they have learned to other projects and completely unable to design an original quilt. Even worse, by rushing through the process to finish by the end of class, many new quilters develop bad habits that result in small inaccuracies. If your seam allowance is off by 1/16" to 1/8" in a simple quilt with few pieces, it's not a big deal -- but when that "minor" inaccuracy is multiplied by all of the pieces in a more advanced block, it results in units that don't fit together at all. For this reason, many younger quilters especially, who typically have no prior sewing experience, find themselves stuck at the beginner level and believe that intermediate and advanced quilts are just "too hard."
What I love about the Quilter's Academy format is the way that in-depth academic information and advice for selecting equipment and setting up your workspace is interspersed with the hands-on exercises and projects, and that each "class" in the book builds on the knowledge and experience gained in previous "classes." It's exactly the way a good science textbook would be laid out, so students can read the chapter and understand what they are doing before they get out their little goggles and do the lab exercise. I also love that, even in this very first "Freshman" book in the series, Harriet teaches the basics of understanding base block grids and beginning drafting and design.
I'm using this as a workbook to teach my 10 and 12 year old sons. :-)
When my mother and I took a class with Harriet a few months ago at the North Carolina Quilt Symposium, she talked to the class about a disturbing trend away from beginner classes that teach fundamentals in favor of project-based, "quilt in a day" type classes. This approach gives new quilters the satisfaction of making a quilt right away, but can leave them ignorant of the basics of precision cutting, accurate piecing, color and design theory, and drafting. After several classes, the student may have made several entire quilts, but is unable to apply what they have learned to other projects and completely unable to design an original quilt. Even worse, by rushing through the process to finish by the end of class, many new quilters develop bad habits that result in small inaccuracies. If your seam allowance is off by 1/16" to 1/8" in a simple quilt with few pieces, it's not a big deal -- but when that "minor" inaccuracy is multiplied by all of the pieces in a more advanced block, it results in units that don't fit together at all. For this reason, many younger quilters especially, who typically have no prior sewing experience, find themselves stuck at the beginner level and believe that intermediate and advanced quilts are just "too hard."
What I love about the Quilter's Academy format is the way that in-depth academic information and advice for selecting equipment and setting up your workspace is interspersed with the hands-on exercises and projects, and that each "class" in the book builds on the knowledge and experience gained in previous "classes." It's exactly the way a good science textbook would be laid out, so students can read the chapter and understand what they are doing before they get out their little goggles and do the lab exercise. I also love that, even in this very first "Freshman" book in the series, Harriet teaches the basics of understanding base block grids and beginning drafting and design.
I'm using this as a workbook to teach my 10 and 12 year old sons. :-)
June 17, 2015
This book was just okay. The patterns seem a little dated and worn out to me. Hopeful the next 3 books in this series will be better.
April 10, 2018
This is a useful guidebook for learning quilting without having someone in your life that can answer questions OR so you can get answers to those questions at unorthodox times of day. There are useful tables and charts, as well as, a complete breakdown of the thought process for learning to design and calculate for your own quilt patterns. I borrowed this from the library but plan to purchase a copy for reference.
This series was recommended to me by a friend who has quilted more than 30 years and still felt there were good points for her to learn from it as well.
This series was recommended to me by a friend who has quilted more than 30 years and still felt there were good points for her to learn from it as well.
August 2, 2020
Confusing and useless
I’m a moderately experienced quilter and the instructions in this book are terribly laid out, extremely difficult to follow, and in more than a few places incomplete (missed cutting instructions for two portions each of two projects). You’ll end up with 11 unfinished projects just by following this single book, not a single one fully completed. Absolutely do not recommend.
I’m a moderately experienced quilter and the instructions in this book are terribly laid out, extremely difficult to follow, and in more than a few places incomplete (missed cutting instructions for two portions each of two projects). You’ll end up with 11 unfinished projects just by following this single book, not a single one fully completed. Absolutely do not recommend.
July 1, 2023
The organization of the book fits the title very well. I love that the final project has no instructions, but a picture accompanied by a worksheet which prompts you to recall what you learned from the lessons.
I was disappointed that there were no lessons on actual quilting, but a plug for another book written by one of the authors.
I was disappointed that there were no lessons on actual quilting, but a plug for another book written by one of the authors.
September 1, 2020
Very informative
March 26, 2022
This is a book to work through overtime to develop skills in quilting.
loved the step by step approach that starts at the basics.
loved the step by step approach that starts at the basics.
September 24, 2011
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Jay L review
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Sandy H review
What can I say that these ladies do not say better? My thought on the design drafting paper vs EQ7/software design controversy...... My life is too short, there are too many quilts to make for me to try and relearned what I never learned in high-school. EQ7 gives the opportunity to design quilts I would otherwise be unable to make.
I plan to buy the entire series. I like how each book builds on the skills in the previous book, expanding the knowledge and skill level. I like how they present multiple techniques for getting patches / blocks made... i.e. 8 methods for half square triangles (volume 3.) I look forward to the rest of the series.
Jay L review
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Sandy H review
What can I say that these ladies do not say better? My thought on the design drafting paper vs EQ7/software design controversy...... My life is too short, there are too many quilts to make for me to try and relearned what I never learned in high-school. EQ7 gives the opportunity to design quilts I would otherwise be unable to make.
I plan to buy the entire series. I like how each book builds on the skills in the previous book, expanding the knowledge and skill level. I like how they present multiple techniques for getting patches / blocks made... i.e. 8 methods for half square triangles (volume 3.) I look forward to the rest of the series.
March 23, 2017
I have been quilting for several months and have read and researched many tips and techniques online but this book taught me much I haven't learned yet as well as why it's better to do one thing over another - although it's all opinion and preference but this gives pros and cons to different methods but then why they choose what they choose. This is a great book for those who are wanting to learn quilting, who are new to quilting, and probably would even be helpful for those who have been quilting for a while!
December 26, 2011
I didn't read this cover to cover, but use it as a reference instead to go with the classes I am taking. It is full of useful information and step-by-steps. The authors' biases and tones on certain subjects (like whether or not to pre-wash fabrics) turned me off at first, but once I had some experience under my best I find it to be an extremely helpful book.
August 29, 2020
I have read through this entire book and improved my technique in many ways. I am going to reread now and do each exercise before I move to the next book in the Quilter's Academy series. I love how the bits and pieces I've picked up along the way over the years I've dabbled in quilting are pulled together and refined in this book.
September 22, 2023
A good resource for beginner quilters or for those who want to brush up on their skills. I did not care for the author’s “my way is the only way” style of instruction. As with many crafts there can be multiple “correct” ways of accomplishing tasks.
May 27, 2010
This would be a good reference for a beginner. Gives tools, techniques, fabric, color, etc.
June 8, 2012
This book was just okay. The patterns seem a little dated and worn out to me. Hopeful the next 3 books in this series will be better.
September 14, 2018
I like that it's set up as a series of skill building. THis is exactly what I need to build confidence and skills!
September 9, 2012
Starting from the beginning, and unlearning all that I am doing wrong.
April 10, 2017
This book does an excellent job of explaining piecing using strips and squares. It does not cover how to quilt (for that, check out the heirloom quilting book by the same author), triangles, appliqué, quilting, or patchwork. It does cover things like how to set up a basic/intermediate sewing area, how to choose a sewing machine, fabric selection, basic sewing tips as they relate to piecing, and cutting.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews