Drafting For The Creative Quilter

Nov 10

Sally Collins tells you everything you ever wanted to know about drafting your own quilt. In Sally’s own words she says “Learning to draft my own patterns has provided me with the opportunity to create unique quilts in any size I choose, with complete freedom and confidence in my ability to achieve a worthy manifestation of the thought in my mind.” You too can discover this freedom by learning to draft your own quilt patterns. The book covers how to draft blocks based on grids, circles, simple and complex 8-pointed, 10-pointed and Feathered Star blocks. Mirrors, graph paper, pencil and a calculator are just a few of the tools you will learn to use as you design your first project. When drafting your block you can take a traditional block and create your own unique designs by fracturing the basic structure of the block. There is a supply list and instructions on how to use the tools along with a good lesson on identifying the basic grid structure of a block. The simple step-by-step instruc- tions for drafting grid-based blocks, star blocks, circular patterns and more are easy to follow along. Three projects are included, each with a varying level of difficulty and each builds on the lessons from the last.

* Applique Society, The *

Oct 10

This is a fantastic reference tool for any quilter, whether you draft your own blocks now or are looking to do it in the future. Sally makes the whole process a lot simpler and clearer.

* Australian Quilter's Companion *

August 2015

Sally collins has provided us here with a superb and incisive guide to dark art or should that be science ? - or drafting. In her introduction, she describes following a pattern as a 'safe and sane' way to make a quilt but that without the knowledge to go further and draft our designs, we're forced to replicate the patterns of others. The book sets out to explain and demystify drafting, empowering quilters with the freedom we need to design our own creations. There's no way around the fact that it can be a complex process, and one that uses maths and sound knowledge base; Sally does everything she can to make it a comprehensive, if not easy, matter to master the basics. The book is less a dip into reference work and more a cover-to-cover course and those determined enough to approach it as such will find it's the next best thing to a class. It's a brilliant work that will help intermediate level quilters to a greater understanding and control of their blocks.

* Popular Patchwo