Charm School: Book Review

I love charm packs. I’ll often pick up one or two of these yummy fabric treats as a little indulgence for myself. Vanessa Goertzen of Lella Boutique is one of my favorite fabric designers, and I have more than a couple charm packs by this talented woman in my stash! Her new book, Charm School—18 Quilts from 5” Squares: A Beginner’s Guide, features projects using charm squares. The quilts are luscious and beautifully photographed and I wanted to dive right into a few of them!

The book is geared towards beginners and would be a great way for someone new to quilting to progress from sewing squares to more complex shapes. Though none of the projects are overly complicated, several are far from simple and would appeal to more advanced quilters. My favorite is Lunch Box with its controlled wonkiness. Madame Butterfly is another standout that will certainly appeal to quilters of all levels.

Though the patterns are designed to be used with charm packs, I love that Goertzen gave instructions for using other cuts of fabric, allowing readers to make the best use of their stashes. The instructions clearly explain how many cuts you need so you could even mix and match charm packs with other sizes of fabric.

My only critique is that I would have liked to see one or two projects that require just one charm pack. I don’t always buy multiples of charm packs, and a wall hanging or mini-quilt that used a single charm pack would have been a good addition, as most projects in the book require three or four charm packs.

Charm School would make a great addition to any quilter’s library, especially if you love precuts as much as I do!

Book Review: Wanderlust Quilts

I've long considered the connections between architectural details and quilting. Floors, mosaics, arches, tiles...these all have influenced quilt designs. The author of Wanderlust Quilts: 10 Modern Projects Inspired by Classic Art & Architecture takes this idea and runs with it. 

Author Amanda Leins studied classical Archaeology and her depth of knowledge is evident in her patterns and her descriptions of the thought process behind her design choices. I love Leins' assertion that modern doesn't mean simple. She employs many advanced techniques in her patterns, with contemporary results. 

This book is brimming with creativity. Several of the designs are irregularly shaped, and some of Leins' patterns are more descriptions of techniques that specific step by step instructions. She employs innovative piecing techniques and encourages a creative style of quilt-making.

My favorite project in the book is Aqueducts. It's a bright, happy quilt and I was intrigued by the idea of made fabric and her descriptions of getting together with friends to piece scraps. 

While there wasn't one quilt that jumped out at me as one I just had to make, the book is a great resource for the creativity it inspires. The projects really get the creative juices flowing!