A Merry Christmas with Kim Schaefer

November 2015
This is a fun and cost effective collection of Christmas projects, ranging from no sew gift tags right up to quilts. The projects all have a modern style and cover so many aspects of Christmas decoration that you could easily decorate the whole house for Christmas from one book. I particularly liked the options given for the smaller projects, the coasters and placemats both have multiple designs, you could make sets by matching or making one of each, There are some fun no sew projects such as wreaths and a couple of great simple designs for Tree Skirts. Maybe this year I will finally remember to make one. The cushion designs are also really nice and so simple but very effective. The book includes a full size pull out pattern sheet, and good introductory session for beginners. The project instructions themselves are minimal , the method for one of the tree skirts is described in four sentences, but is a simple enough design, and less waffle allows for more projects, so it is a worthwhile trade-off.

* Popular Patchwork *

December 2015

The 27 projects are simple easy to make Christmas household decorations, cushions, wall hangings, runners etc. They are decorated with `folksy’ spindly reindeer and father Christmas figures. There are three tree skirts. A selection of placemats are made using varying methods, some have applique, some are pieced and some are woven. One wreath is a circle of fabric wrapped around a polystyrene circle. There are coaster with snowflakes and robins. The templates are on a separate sheet.

* British Patchwork and Quilting *

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, so why not make all your holiday decorations this year? In here are twenty-seven colorful quilting projects in both traditional and contemporary styles. There is a complete set of patterns in the center of the book to pull out, cut out and use, and all the other shapes you need are given as measurements (i.e., squares and rectangles). This means that you can start immediately without requiring a computer/printer/copier; a great point in the book's favor.

This is a book of patterns, not a quilting, patchwork and appliqué primer, so some previous knowledge is necessary. The projects are suitable for a range of abilities but are not graded, so it is best to pick something, read through it and see if you have the right skills (as you would do anyway even with a rating). This is a well laid out book with some good colored diagrams, I would rate a fair bit of it improvers to intermediate, at least when it comes to sewing skills. There is a double page section at the beginning that goes through a few skills, good for a reminder or for getting an experienced stitcher but inexperienced quilter up to the mark. The projects include tree skirts, coasters, parcel tags, place mats, table toppers, lap quilts, runners, pillows, bunting, wall hangings and more. Among the simpler projects are a very unusual tree and wreath made of fabric wrapped balls, fabric holly wreath made with fast2fuse and neat round coasters and bunting shapes that would make up quite fast and look a bit different. I can imagine a family or group getting involved with some of these projects, which is a good thing for holiday decorations, and with many items being "conversation pieces," I can also imagine them coming out year after year.It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, so why not make all your holiday decorations this year? In here are twenty-seven colorful quilting projects in both traditional and contemporary styles. There is a complete set of patterns in the center of the book to pull out, cut out and use, and all the other shapes you need are given as measurements (i.e., squares and rectangles). This means that you can start immediately without requiring a computer/printer/copier; a great point in the book's favor.

This is a book of patterns, not a quilting, patchwork and appliqué primer, so some previous knowledge is necessary. The projects are suitable for a range of abilities but are not graded, so it is best to pick something, read through it and see if you have the right skills (as you would do anyway even with a rating). This is a well laid out book with some good colored diagrams, I would rate a fair bit of it improvers to intermediate, at least when it comes to sewing skills. There is a double page section at the beginning that goes through a few skills, good for a reminder or for getting an experienced stitcher but inexperienced quilter up to the mark. The projects include tree skirts, coasters, parcel tags, place mats, table toppers, lap quilts, runners, pillows, bunting, wall hangings and more. Among the simpler projects are a very unusual tree and wreath made of fabric wrapped balls, fabric holly wreath made with fast2fuse and neat round coasters and bunting shapes that would make up quite fast and look a bit different. I can imagine a family or group getting involved with some of these projects, which is a good thing for holiday decorations, and with many items being "conversation pieces," I can also imagine them coming out year after year.

* Rachel Hyde - Myshelf.c