Stellar Quilts

Stellar Quilts
Gifted By: Crosley-Griffith Publishing Company
www.judymartin.com
Reviewed by Mollyhall Seeley, Editor for FaveQuilts

The forward in Judy Martin's Stellar Quilts begins, "[This] is a book about star quilts, but it is also a book about exceptional quilts." The book goes on to qualify that word, "exceptional," as meaning quilts that stand out, that are unique or distinct from the broad genre of "star quilts." But the patterns and designs in this book are also exceptional in the traditional sense of the word. They are, simply put, stellar.

The standout feature of any Judy Martin pattern book is the attention paid to tutelage, as well as design. Every book is an opportunity to further develop and master particular quilting skills; Martin doesn't expect her reader to simply whip up these designs. Stellar Quilts includes precise instruction for every question, from broad technique-based problems, like detailed explanations for perfect bindings, to pattern specifics. Martin understands that quilting is about the process as much as it is the final product, and her books reflect that notion.

Star quilts are among the most dynamic type of quilt designs, and in true Judy Martin form the designs in Stellar Quilts take the motif to its absolute upper limits in both complexity and beauty. Each quilt is utterly unique, even within the variations offered on a single pattern. From color schemes to quilt block layout, each pattern offers endless opportunities for a strikingly original quilt. Stellar Quilts is the type of book that will quickly become worn with repeated use. Don't even bother finding a place for it on the bookshelf; Stellar Quilts will undoubtedly find a home right next to your sewing machine.