English Paper Piecing II

English Paper Piecing II
Gifted By: Martingale/That Patchwork Place
Written by Vicki Bellino
www.shopmartingale.com
Reviewed by Mollyhall Seeley, Editor for FaveQuilts

Did you know that English paper piecing dates back to at least the 1700s? That's no surprise given how variable the technique is. Author Vicki Bellino makes a compelling argument for paper piecing in her follow up to the excellent English Paper Piecing: Fresh New Quillts from Bloom Creek.

The second book in the series, English Paper Piecing II, reminds quilters that paper piecing is a "time-honored method of piecing which uses paper templates to cut to the exact finished size. These templates are used as a guide for both cutting and piecing... The paper remains in place until units are complete, guaranteeing that the pieces are accurate and will fit together perfectly." In other words, all the fun pieces for a beautiful quilt with none of the frustrating mistakes.

English Paper Piecing II approaches paper piecing from two angles: first through teaching the fundamentals of various cuts, quilts and techniques to give the quiltmaker a solid base for tackling more complicated patterns, and then offering 10 quilt patterns to put those techniques into practice. That includes additional tips from Bellino to address trickier elements of paper piecing that only an expert would know. Get on the fast track by following Bellino's expertise.

The advice and patterns in English Paper Piecing II are laid out in a clear, easy-to-follow fashion that will help you quilt an impressive quilt without breaking a sweat. Bellino is clearly an expert, and her tutorials are designed to help casual quilters become experts as well. If you like paper-pieced designs, this book is an absolute must-have addition to your bookshelf.