I am just loving making little seasonal projects lately. I had the day off on Monday, (woo hoo!), and I was gearing up to get back to Viola, when I happened to pick up a book just for a quick look.
Do any of you have this book? I buy far fewer books these days than in the past, but this one caught my eye about a year ago and so I ordered it from amazon.com. It is full of 101 fun small quilt projects, and most of them are designed by folks who have published with Patchwork Place. In fact, I believe none of the patterns in the book are new. The book is a compilation of patterns put out previously.
So, that is a good thing and a not so good thing. It is great to have so many well known designers' patterns combined in one volume. Terrific in fact. The down side is, that probably due to space constraints, the instructions for the projects have been heavily edited. Down to bare bones. Lots of things a new quilter might not know are omitted. A more experienced quilter can usually figure it out, but a newbie would be lost.
For instance. in my project, Tumbling Leaves, it was necessary for me to make a flying goose unit out of nine different fabrics. The instructions said to cut a 4 1/4" square. Then it jumped to "use one of your 4 1/4" triangles to attach two 2 3/8" triangles to make your flying goose unit". It totally left out the part about cutting your 4 1/4 " square diagonally twice for four triangles, only one of which you would actually use in the project.
The pattern is Tumbling Leaves, designed by Lori Smith of My Heart to Your Hands. I would bet you dollars to doughnuts that in her original pattern, she tells you precisely how to cut those 4 1/4" squares and even how to construct flying geese units. I don't blame her at all for the poor instructions in this book. It is all about editing.
The pattern is super cute, and I will share more about some changes I made in the construction methods that gave me better results. Tomorrow…
33 responses to “Tumbling Leaves”
Even fairly experienced quilters would be thrown for a loop (even if for a brief period of time) with those instructions. I’m looking forward to the changes you made … while I may not make that quilt, I’m sure that some of your changes could be useful when making other quilts. I do love your little quilt!
Even fairly experienced quilters would be thrown for a loop (even if for a brief period of time) with those instructions. I’m looking forward to the changes you made … while I may not make that quilt, I’m sure that some of your changes could be useful when making other quilts. I do love your little quilt!
Even fairly experienced quilters would be thrown for a loop (even if for a brief period of time) with those instructions. I’m looking forward to the changes you made … while I may not make that quilt, I’m sure that some of your changes could be useful when making other quilts. I do love your little quilt!
Cute quilt! I love seasonal quilts, too, especially small ones.
I’ve had this book for perhaps a year and love it but have never made anything from it so hadn’t noticed the bare-bones instructions.
When I make Flying Geese, I never, ever cut triangles. I use squares for the corner triangles if I want scrappy geese. If matching geese are okay, I use a method I learned from a book by Mary Sue Suit that gives you 4 identical Flying Geese from two cut squares. BTW, that book title is “All the Blocks Are Flying Geese”.
I’m back to working on Brian’s quilt.
Hugs!
Cute quilt! I love seasonal quilts, too, especially small ones.
I’ve had this book for perhaps a year and love it but have never made anything from it so hadn’t noticed the bare-bones instructions.
When I make Flying Geese, I never, ever cut triangles. I use squares for the corner triangles if I want scrappy geese. If matching geese are okay, I use a method I learned from a book by Mary Sue Suit that gives you 4 identical Flying Geese from two cut squares. BTW, that book title is “All the Blocks Are Flying Geese”.
I’m back to working on Brian’s quilt.
Hugs!
Cute quilt! I love seasonal quilts, too, especially small ones.
I’ve had this book for perhaps a year and love it but have never made anything from it so hadn’t noticed the bare-bones instructions.
When I make Flying Geese, I never, ever cut triangles. I use squares for the corner triangles if I want scrappy geese. If matching geese are okay, I use a method I learned from a book by Mary Sue Suit that gives you 4 identical Flying Geese from two cut squares. BTW, that book title is “All the Blocks Are Flying Geese”.
I’m back to working on Brian’s quilt.
Hugs!
Nicole I doubt if heavy editing would have occurred to me. I would have just been horribly frustrated. Maybe I would have figured it out but more than likely the project would have been shelved. Thanks for the insight.
Nicole I doubt if heavy editing would have occurred to me. I would have just been horribly frustrated. Maybe I would have figured it out but more than likely the project would have been shelved. Thanks for the insight.
Nicole I doubt if heavy editing would have occurred to me. I would have just been horribly frustrated. Maybe I would have figured it out but more than likely the project would have been shelved. Thanks for the insight.
Very cute quilt! It provides instant gratification, that’s for sure! But, as you said, it could be instant frustration for the inexperienced quilter. That’s a shame because I’ll bet there are some nice looking quilts in that book!
Very cute quilt! It provides instant gratification, that’s for sure! But, as you said, it could be instant frustration for the inexperienced quilter. That’s a shame because I’ll bet there are some nice looking quilts in that book!
Very cute quilt! It provides instant gratification, that’s for sure! But, as you said, it could be instant frustration for the inexperienced quilter. That’s a shame because I’ll bet there are some nice looking quilts in that book!
I don’t think that “bare bones” instructions is acceptable for a quilt book. Companies are risking their reputations when they skimp like this, don’t you think? I’ll always choose quality over quantity!
The quilt is a nice addition to your fall decorating, tho!!
I don’t think that “bare bones” instructions is acceptable for a quilt book. Companies are risking their reputations when they skimp like this, don’t you think? I’ll always choose quality over quantity!
The quilt is a nice addition to your fall decorating, tho!!
I don’t think that “bare bones” instructions is acceptable for a quilt book. Companies are risking their reputations when they skimp like this, don’t you think? I’ll always choose quality over quantity!
The quilt is a nice addition to your fall decorating, tho!!
very cute quilt. i like Lori Smith stuff. gOod luck with the instructions. it sounds like you need to be very careful!
Mary
very cute quilt. i like Lori Smith stuff. gOod luck with the instructions. it sounds like you need to be very careful!
Mary
very cute quilt. i like Lori Smith stuff. gOod luck with the instructions. it sounds like you need to be very careful!
Mary
That is a cute quilt! I’m a fan of fast flying geese and the measurements you listed are exactly what you need for the method, which makes four identical flying geese from 5 squares. But you’re right, a newbie wouldn’t know that!
That is a cute quilt! I’m a fan of fast flying geese and the measurements you listed are exactly what you need for the method, which makes four identical flying geese from 5 squares. But you’re right, a newbie wouldn’t know that!
That is a cute quilt! I’m a fan of fast flying geese and the measurements you listed are exactly what you need for the method, which makes four identical flying geese from 5 squares. But you’re right, a newbie wouldn’t know that!
It’s such a cute quilt and it’s a shame that the publisher edit the pattern so much that a lot of quilters (and I’m sure not only newbies) would have a big problem. But the biggest problem is in my opinion that the quilter would blame the pattern designer and not the company. I see that there’s a Miss Rosie pattern on the cover. Is that also badly edited? Since I’m sure you have the pattern you could compare these two easily.
It’s such a cute quilt and it’s a shame that the publisher edit the pattern so much that a lot of quilters (and I’m sure not only newbies) would have a big problem. But the biggest problem is in my opinion that the quilter would blame the pattern designer and not the company. I see that there’s a Miss Rosie pattern on the cover. Is that also badly edited? Since I’m sure you have the pattern you could compare these two easily.
It’s such a cute quilt and it’s a shame that the publisher edit the pattern so much that a lot of quilters (and I’m sure not only newbies) would have a big problem. But the biggest problem is in my opinion that the quilter would blame the pattern designer and not the company. I see that there’s a Miss Rosie pattern on the cover. Is that also badly edited? Since I’m sure you have the pattern you could compare these two easily.
I love Tumbling Leaves. And yes, even experienced quilter’s can get confused with incolete instructions.
I love Tumbling Leaves. And yes, even experienced quilter’s can get confused with incolete instructions.
I love Tumbling Leaves. And yes, even experienced quilter’s can get confused with incolete instructions.
Lovely quilt for a day off. Yay for fall!
Lovely quilt for a day off. Yay for fall!
Lovely quilt for a day off. Yay for fall!
Well, I quickly went to the book shelf and pulled out the book…marking the correction. Thank you for that! While I’m a seasoned quilter like yourself…the newbies in my family would have been so confused if they went to make that one! Thank you!
Well, I quickly went to the book shelf and pulled out the book…marking the correction. Thank you for that! While I’m a seasoned quilter like yourself…the newbies in my family would have been so confused if they went to make that one! Thank you!
Well, I quickly went to the book shelf and pulled out the book…marking the correction. Thank you for that! While I’m a seasoned quilter like yourself…the newbies in my family would have been so confused if they went to make that one! Thank you!