Scrap Quilts for babies and toddlers

Authors: Katherine Guerrier
Publisher: Rainbow books CD RPM
ISBN: 978-1-906314-17-0
Price: £12.00
Reviewed by Bron Ellis

I have to state my personal preference about books from the start, I like to sit with a book and a cup of tea and enjoy the tactile pleasure of books! I had not used a CD ROM book before but I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with it. Katherine Guerrier is a well known and much respected quilter, her signature pin wheel quilt designs are among my favourites.

The projects are delightful and not all are illustrated in pastel shades, there is an excellent mix of fabrics and colours to suit all tastes. The designs of the quilts are simple enough for a beginner to try but interesting colour combinations and textures make them attractive for experienced quilters. Even makers of contemporary art quilts may want to make a lovely small treasure of a quilt as a gift for a baby or toddler and this book offers much inspiration.

Suggestions are made for colour combinations, quantities to complete each quilt and the use of recycled fabrics. The quilts take very little fabric so would be a good introduction to quilting or great for using up small precious pieces of hand dyed fabrics or family scraps. I intend to try a design using treasured pieces of old silk kimono fabrics for a wall hanging, the simple geometric designs would showcase the fabrics really well.

The projects are clearly explained and illustrated with all the basic techniques explained in detail at the end of the book. The facility to zoom in on a small area of a quilt to see the quilting or binding is particularly good. Pages can be selectively printed should you wish to. As it works on both a PC and a Mac, the book is a useful addition to any quilter’s library.