The Quilter's Negative Space Handbook :: A Book Review

It is always exciting to have a new book to review, but this time it's even more exciting because I 'know' the author.  OK well know is a relative term, but it feels like I know her after having various online conversations with her through Stash Bee involvement and then also longarm chat after she became a Handi Quilter owner.  One day hopefully I will know her in real life but I reckon I have to get over to the States for a chance of that!

So the book is The Quilter's Negative Space Handbook and the author is Sylvia Schaefer from Flying Parrot Quilts.  It is published by Stash Books, an imprint of C&T Publishing, and is available in the UK through Search Press.

My first impression was how it was so full of colour - oh that's got to bode well hasn't it?!

I actually received and read it through from start to finish in one day.  It is so much more than a book of patterns and contains such useful information for anyone interested in making modern quilts - either from a pattern or by designing their own.

 

In each chapter there is information on techniques to make quilts modern, for example taking a traditional block quilt and removing elements, varying sizes and inverting colours to name a few.  I really liked how Sylvia talks you through each process and gives examples along the way.  Some of these are computer generated images but there are so many lovely photos of real quilts that just make you want to touch them.

If you don't want to design yourself, each chapter has a pattern with full instructions for you to make the quilt.  I have to say I now have more quilts added to my ever-growing, or is that never-ending, to do list.

The quilt below features in the book as an example of disintegration but it isn't a pattern in the book -  I just included it here because I happen to love it!

All in all I think this is a fantastic book and a wonderful resource for quilters both modern quilters and those looking to explore modern route more.  Watch this space for upcoming quilts that will be made using some of these techniques.