Quilts From Grandmother's Garden: A Fresh Look at English Paper Piecing

Quilts from Grandmother's Garden: A Fresh Look at English Paper Piecing
By Jaynette Huff
ISBN: 978-1564776426
Gifted by Martingale
www.shopmartingale.com
Reviewed by Claire Hawkes, Editor of FaveQuilts.com
 

For many centuries, the timeless beauty of nature has served as inspiration for renowned works of art. Although spring's flowers are quick to vanish,  nature-inspired artistic creations will look beautiful for years. That's why Jaynette Huff's Quilts from Grandmother's Garden: A Fresh Look at English Paper Piecing is such a winning collection of one of quilting's most traditional and popular floral quilt designs. Whether you're interested in learning English paper piecing methods, or in search of quilt patterns featuring fields of flowers, this charming book is a wonderful resource for both traditional technique and gorgeous patterns.

The two-part organization of this book starts off by explaining beginner quilter's techniques, such as how to English paper piece, the basic elements of floral design, and how to quickly applique hexagon quilt patterns. I was always under the assumption that English paper piecing was one of the most time-consuming quilt techniques. After reading this book's introduction, I was surprised to learn that there is a much faster way to make these lovely flower quilt patterns. While Quilts from Grandmother's Garden celebrates the traditional technique of making floral designs out of hexagon shapes, this book puts special focus on sewing hexagons into applique units to quickly create exquisite flower quilt pattern. By learning this simple sewing trick, any quilter will be able to quickly piece together all 10 of quilt patterns showcasing lovely landscapes featuring flowers, butterflies, baskets, and lakes.

Once a reader gets to the pattern section of the book, they will feel as if author Jaynette Huff has warmly welcomed them to take a walk through the springtime meadows of a real flower garden. From the easy, stylish wall quilt design of Sunflower Bouquet (p. 63), to the heartwarming wall quilt pattern called Welcome Home (p. 67), each flower quilt incorporates a decorative design that is as unique as it is splendid to look upon. Readers will also find that each floral quilt design comes with a helpful materials list, cutting guide, and fabric key, which clearly shows the correct color of each hexagon shape.

Quilts from Grandmother's Garden offers so much invaluable quilting knowledge to help a quilter master their English paper piecing technique, as well as broaden their understand of all the wonderful designs that a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt can create. After reading through this book, you'll find yourself a more learned quilter with a greater appreciation for the artistic inspiration that arises from the simple beauty of gardens.