Planet Patchwork Bookbriefs are published in newsletter form and distributed by e-mail to subscribers to the Planet Patchwork Update List, as well as being published here on the web. If you'd like to join our Update List, you can subscribe here.

BookBriefs provides subscribers thumbnail descriptions and reviews of new (and sometimes not-so-new) quilting books on the market, along with links to where the books can be purchased through The Planet Patchwork Quilters' Bookstore. (Just click on the title.) All prices listed are retail. We offer discounts on most books.

And here are the books, reviewed by Lynn Holland. All prices listed are manufacturer's suggested retail. Most of these books are available at a discount through the Planet Patchwork Quilter's Bookstore. Click on the link from each title to learn more or to order online through our association with Amazon.com

Planet Patchwork Bookbriefs
Fall Color Edition

If some of the new quilt book releases are any indication, it's going to be a colorful fall. And I'm not talking earth tones here. I'm talking bold, even wild, full-bodied color.


Freddy's House

by Freddy Moran
C&T Publishing, 1999
112 pages, $24.95

Freddy's House is a color statement in every sense of the word. Freddy is  Freddy Moran, a quilter who discovered quilting after raising five sons.  The story starts with Freddy's actual domicile, which is dressed in vivid hues throughout. However, the heart of the book is her quilting, which concentrates on depicting houses of every style and sort in what can only be described as explosive color - think Mary Englebreit and two sticks of dynamite.

Freddy has an incredible eye for mixing dozens of colors and patterns, then magically tying them together with her signature black and white. Although there are four quilt patterns in Freddy's House, the book is primarily a celebration of an artist who has found her place, literally and figuratively, and is not afraid that the party might be too loud. Even if Freddy's style and taste don't mirror yours, this is a book that any quilter will love. Because there is so much storyline and wonderful photography within the book, even non-quilters will find it appealing. I think this would be a great gift book for anyone who's a little "blue" -- it's a guaranteed mood lifter.

Color from the Heart

by Gai Perry
C&T Publishing, 1999
112 pages, $24.95

For those of us who want to be like Freddy or at least have more mastery of color within their own quilting, Gai Perry has offered us a step by step procedure to develop and explore our own use of color within quilts. Set up in workbook (or sequential class) style, Gai takes us through seven projects, each designed to help us explore the use of color within our quilts. Since this is one of the areas with which many of us struggle, Color from the Heart  helps us develop our own artistry and color sense. Each lesson is set up for either individual or group implementation, making it ideal for multiple settings. Even better, C&T offers the projects from the book in gift wrap format, so even if you don't complete the projects you can still give them as presents.

Westminster, Patchwork and Quilting Book Number One
by Kaffe Fassett
C&T Publishing, 1999
56 pages, $16.95

The hottest name in quilting today seems to be Kaffe Fassett, and the hottest trend is his line of striped fabrics. For those of us who want to try it ourselves, Kaffe Fassett: Book Number One gives us instructions for replicating his stunning creations. The pictures are great, the instructions detailed, and rated for difficulty. Another "convert" after a notable career as a knitter and designer, it's easy to see why he's enjoying so much popularity in the quilting world.

SkyDyes

by Mickey Lawler
C&T Publishing, 1999
112 pages, $24.95

For the truly adventurous, why not try an afternoon of sky dying? No, that's not a typo, just the fun technique Mickey Lawler shares with us in her book SkyDyes. As a fan of afternoons of messing with dyes and paints
(preferably at someone else's house), I found this book wonderful. There's nothing quite like the magic of transferring color to fabric and Mickey inspires us to be brave and give fabric painting a go. She convinces us by examples that even things we believe to be mistakes can really be treasures, if we're willing to appreciate the unintentional.


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