Strip-Smart Quilts: 16 Designs from One Easy Technique

I am two-and-a-half years new to quilting. I've had no classes on anything but simply jumped in and with great success. I just follow the instructions carefully. Because I'm still fairly new to quilting, I have a hard time visualizing patterns in any other colors than the way they are presented - mostly. I am drawn to the more traditional quilt. The colors of the quilts presented in this book have a more traditional feel, so I jumped on the book. I am not new to the strip-piecing method used in this book as I am currently using it for a queen-size 'Around the World' quilt. It is an immense time saver and the effects can be dramatic and even stunning.I've reviewed this book and I would definitely recommend it for the beginning quilter - someone who may be a bit squeamish about jumping into quilting. The author of the book does give some quilting basics in the beginning of the book so the beginner is not left totally to their own devices. The instructions for the quilt patterns given are very clear and thorough for the method used and would be a great confidence builder for the beginner. It would be difficult to mess up - but even if you did, you could turn it into a crazy quilt. No one would be the wiser. :-) I do not believe it would be or offer anything new for the advanced quilter but that the patterns offered within might be to 'drab' for their tastes - unless they would use it for a jumping off point for further creativity, tho I do not see that. Even for a quick quilt, the advanced quilter would be able to look at it and tell what they needed and how to do it.So if you've never pieced a quilt but would like to get into it, this is a great book to get your feet wet with. Also good for the confident beginner, if you've never used the strip-piece method, give it a try. Will transform the way you approach certain quilts.Bottom line: a good book for the beginner's library.

I so appreciate those who can take a complicated looking or traditional quilt pattern and completely take the ‘complicated’ out of it and make the whole process fun. Kathy Brown certainly did it with this collection of easy to do quilts that when finished don’t appear that way. What a creative and smart quilter who has made piecing quilts so much more fun then when our grammas did them or even when we seasoned sewers began.

The quilts in this book are beautiful -- I've made three. I do agree that they are not for beginners not only because of the level of complexity, but also because at least one pattern contains errors. The diagrams are correct in "Family Vacation", but the text does not match. Fortunately I spend a lot of time with patterns before I begin and I was able to correct the labels so the quilt I made was the quilt that was shown.The ruler that is used for these quilts requires special caution since you are at times cutting toward yourself. When my cutter skipped over the edge of the ruler I ended up in the emergency room for stitches.I don't mean to sound so negative. As I said, the finished quilts are a delight. I've made them as gifts and recipients are delighted. Just be mindful at all steps and you'll end up with a treasure.

This book has several lovely patterns and the childhood story with each pattern is a delightful touch. Please be aware that EVERY pattern includes LOTS of bias edges........ matching and sewing those endless bias edges together may not be to every quilter's taste! With that warning in mind, I like the book and will probably make at least one pattern [Fat Man's Squeeze], though I cringe to think of 8 bias points coming together and behaving nicely enough to lay flat!Several of the patterns [Read All About It & Daydream Believer] would take a real glutton for punishment to make using the triangle ruler technique when they can be made quicker and easier using conventional strip techniques which results in no bias edges to match.Inspirational fabric combinations. Patterns are for smallish quilts - lap or twin size.

Very seldom do I find a book with lots of patterns I want to try. At a recent quilting retreat my best friend had this book along with the ruler to go with it. After starting one of the quilts in it I just had to have my own copy. I have the first two steps of the quilt done now just to finish the project so I can start another one. The only thing I would do different would be on the one I am working on would to use a full width 2 1/2 in strip, that would cut down on the waste and let you make the top bigger

There are some really fun quilts in this book and each one is truly different even though the basic unit construction is similar for each one. Because of arthritis, I don't use a rotary cutter very much now but was able to cut these quickly and easily with my AccuQuilt die cutter using half and quarter square triangle dies. I bought her second book for strip quilts and it contains 16 more unique patterns. Well worth every penny.

I haven't tried this yet so I am hesitant to give it 5 stars yet; but the theory seems feasible. This method would be a new way to join the blocks of your favorite quilt pattern. I believe that this would be a great way to reduce the bulky way of quilting large bed-size quilts -- a real plus for my sewing machine and me.

I saw the quilt featured on the cover of this quilt book and was SO happy. I had been looking for this particular quilt for quite some time. I wish I had the quilt finished in order to show at this time, but alas, time has gotten away from me (I have all the colors [jelly rolls] ready to go ... it's just finding the time). This is a very nice quilt book and as I said, I'm so glad I found it!

I first came across this book and the author on face book Martingale news feed, and EVERY QUILTER was raving about this book, so I just had to see what all the fuss was about? I was so thrilled when the book arrived today and I egaly poured over the pages, and my eyes just lit up, my brain realised the massive potential this author had discovered and created!!!I'm not sure if you are like me, I see these interesting shape rules off the Creative Grid stand, not sure quite what to do with many of them and just stick with my normal quilters ruler, and 4"/8" blocks and that's about it. Well this author was the same, until one day for some reason she just picked up the ruler which has a normal ruler bottom, and 2 triangles on the top. Due to stress, being so over worked the author picked up this crazy looking ruler and thought she would cut up some stripped fabric with it and played around with the shapes. Within 3/4 hour, she had discovered she'd designed 30 quilts, in the simplist and quickest manor possible!!!!The author demonstrated how to use this ruler which is very important.This book shows you one very very easy method to make the most stunning quilts without fussy cutting and hours working out what goes where!!! This is a brilliant books for beginners too, as it will fill them so full of self confidence being able to create the most amazing modern quilts just by repositioning the blocks shown in this book!!!!I have never been SO EXCITED about a quilt book as I am with this one!!!I am a quilter with disabilities, so making quilts so simplistically with the most amazing designs has opened up my physical ability to quilt so much better, and feel so proud at what I've achieved!!!This soft back book has 79 pages, and was published in 2011, but it's not dated at all.ContentsThe Secret of GRITSOne ruler + one triangle = Quilting fun!!!Quilting ruler - Breaking basicsProjects1. Hide n seek2. Daydreamer Believer3. Chinese Jump rope4. Brownies a la mode5. Fat man squeeze6. Read all about it7. The birds8. Merry go round9. The Twist10. Pedal pushers11. Box hockey12. Romeo and Juliet13. Penny Candy14. Family vacation15. Cupsicles16. Pick up sticksAcknowledgementsAbout the author.If I could, I would give this higher than 5 stars, not just for the amazing quilting information, but the presentation is fabulous. Colour photos through out, the diagrams are all in colour, and very well presented, taking out all the difficulties many quilting books can present. Every effort has been put into this book by the publishers, which makes it a total joy to read cover to cover!!!I normally find a section in books which bits have been missed out, or poor diagrams, but this book is the first quilt book which I cannot find a single down point, that's why it deserves more than 5 stars!!!My new batik jelly roll arrived this morning, and I'm itching to unroll it and start straight away on one of these stunning projects, but I must finish my current quilt which I'm 1/2 way through!!! Come the new year, I will have one of these special rulers, and whizzing my way through spectacular quilts gallor!!!I really hope this book revolutionises your quilting experience and you will be so excited reading this amazing book.I hope this has been of use to you.Happy quilting!!!

great, had a go at one and was successful even being a beginner

A nice book, containing some pretty patterns.

Another great book to add to my collection.

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