A Quilter's Mixology

A Quilter's Mixology
Gifted By: Interweave/F+W
www.interweavestore.com
Reviewed by Mollyhall Seeley, Editor for FaveQuilts

There is something inherently beautiful about curved piecing. Quilts as an artform lean toward straight, geometric lines and angles that all come to perfect points. That makes sense - there is a kind of mathematical beauty in pieces slotting together at perfect angles. But curved piecing introduces movement and a softer edge, allowing the quilt design to flow in an entirely different way.

In her new pattern book A Quilter's Mixology: 16 Projects Using the Drunkard's Path Block, Angela Pingel takes the idea of curves creating motion and adding dimension to an entirely new level. Each project approaches the idea of curved piecing from a different perspective. "Flower Power Quilt," "Butterflies Quilt," and "Sunrise Table Runner" find the natural curves in nature and duplicate them - but, as with all the quilts and patterns in A Quilter's Mixology, with a healthy dose of creative license. The "Ombre Pillow" duplicates the feeling of babbling rivers while still showing off the straight lines so inherent to quilting.

Far and away, Pingel is at her best when she gives in to her own sense of fun. The "Tennis Match Quilt" is as engaging and funny as it sounds, conveying the exact feeling of the sport at no cost to the design. "Arabian Nights" instantly conjures all of Scheherazade's stories, the romance, the beauty, and of course just a hint of danger. The pattern makes you feel like you're looking up at the ceiling from the inside of the Taj Mahal.

Not only are Pingel's designs completely unique and groundbreaking, but her tutorials are absolutely clear and concise. Quilt pattern books often crowd out tutorials with too much "fluff" - tips and tricks that would be better served in one section or in a book of their own. Pingel's patterns are written out clearly enough as to not need any additional information ... though the book is padded in the front by an excellent resource for questions of color, thread, and technique. Pingel is clearly a master of the curved design - and with a copy of A Quilter's Mixology, you could be, too!