About this item
Improv quilting, in which quilt designs emerge organically as fabric is cut and stitched, is simple, popular, and fun. In this book, expert quilter Patricia Belyea offers improv instruction and shares her appealing Quilt Manifesto of five simple rules. While providing quilters with a starting point, the fifth rule of the Manifesto, "Break any rule you like," opens the door to creative freedom. (However, the solid instructions allow even the rule-breakers to create beautiful quilts on the first try) . Fourteen projects combine authentic Japanese yukata cottons and contemporary fabrics; each is finished with bold hand-stitching. The quilt-making process is presented in detail, and each quilt shows the irresistible wabi-sabi influence of Japanese design. The sense of discovery in each project is inspiring and out of the ordinary.
About the Author
At age 50, Patricia Belyea took her first trip to Japan. At 53, she made her first quilt. Five years later Patricia left the creative agency she had led for 25 years to become a full-time quilter. Once she started quilting, Patricia worked on projects during every waking hour (and hours she should have been sleeping) . "I was a fish who didn't know I was a fish until someone showed me the water," she explains. Once Patricia discovered vintage Japanese yukata cottons, she had found her calling. These hand-dyed fabrics with graphic patterns and luscious colors seemed ideal for making stunning quilts. Patricia's first quilt book combines an improv design approach with both vintage and contemporary Japanese fabrics.
