Urban Country Quilts

Urban Country Quilts: 15 Projects for the Home
By Jeanne Large and Shelly Wicks
Gifted by Martingale
www.shopmartingale.com
Reviewed by Jessica Nichols, Editor of FaveQuilts.com

Give your home a country charm with a touch of modern flair with Urban Country Quilts: 15 Projects for the Home by Jeanne Large and Shelley Wicks. This collection of quilts includes pattern for simple projects that will help you decorate your home with the earth-tones and floral motifs that make country quilts so beautiful. The quilts Large and Wicks have designed especially for this book aren't complex projects meant to be passed down as heirlooms; they are simple patterns with a country feel that make them easy to use in everyday life.

What gives Urban Country Quilts its rustic appeal is the consistent use of bright floral motifs against muted neutral backgrounds. You'll see this design style throughout the quilt, from the Market Fresh bed quilt, with colorful scraps set against shades of chocolate brown, to the Dancing Daisy Pillow with red daisy appliques on a brown patchwork base. This cohesive aesthetic makes it possible to make several quilts from this book for one home without the pieces looking disparate. Your quilted decor will flow beautifully from room to room if you draw inspiration from the patterns in Urban Country Quilts.

In the collection of Urban Country Quilts, Large and Wicks have included more than just bed quilts and throw quilts. They have also thoughtfully chosen patterns for accent pieces like table toppers, pillowcases, and wall hangings so you can use your quilting to decorate your home in unexpected ways. I especially like the way they have put together sets of quilt projects with the same motifs and colors. For example, you can make the Feelin' Groovy trio of a lap quilt and two matching throw pillows to give a retro style to your living room. Or you can make matching Jack and Jill bed quilts for your daughter's and son's bedrooms. Urban Country Quilts is more than just a collection of quilt patterns with a similar theme; it's a careful plan for decorating your whole home with a quilted country charm.