Tending the Garden: A Blooming Bouquet of Quilts from Blackbird Designs

When I was gifted $$ for Christmas, I hastily spent it on this book and "When the Cold Wind Blows" also by Adams & Allen. I love applique and from the moment I stumbled across my first book by these two creative women I've been hooked on their designs. The quilts and other projects within the pages of this lovely book are beautifully photographed and displayed.There are ten projects in this book, five quilts, two cross-stitch patterns, two hooked rugs, and instructions for dying a vintage crocheted tablecloth to transform it into a blanket.As is usual for A&A, they begin with what they call their "Feature Quilt." Usually this quilt is shown in two colorways; one by Adams and one by Allen. In this book, we see the 84x84-inch "feature quilt" done in three different colorways. (Photos 1-3.) Fifty of the 96 pages of this book are dedicated to making the Feature Quilt. The thing I love the most (next to the designs themselves) is the large, 28-inch block size used in this quilt. Right now, I'm into making framed wall art from quilt squares. Of course, they would also make wonderful pillow fronts, too. How about stringing your favorite blocks together to make a runner? I also enjoy substituting wool for the fabric. In quilting, the possibilities are endless and only limited by our imagination!The remaining projects are: "Tumbling Lily," a 65x65-inch quilt with 20-inch blocks; a 60x60-inch throw quilt/wall hanging titled "My Heart is Yours"; a sweet cross-stitch pin-cushion; an 11x6.5-inch cross-stitch sampler; a 35x19.75-inch hooked rug; a hooked sewing box cover; a 24x60-inch appliqued table/bed runner; dying a vintage blanket (no photo) and an 80x80-inch pieced (no applique) quilt, aptly named "Summer Stars."Each project comes with detailed and comprehensive instructions for everything we need to know to sew each block and the quilt top. Instructions are given for hand applique using the freezer paper method. There are full-size templates for the applique pieces and each block has an applique placement diagram (the diagram requires enlargement). There are charts for the cross stitch patterns and rugs. (The chart for the larger hooked project also requires enlarging.)However, if you are unsure of rotary cutting, proper pressing, cutting binding, sewing the binding to the quilt top, making a quilt sandwich, and in general all the techniques needed for finishing a quilt... you will need an additional resource. Currently, Amazon is not allowing the insertion of product links within reviews that contain photos, so I'm linking two resources I have used to help me finish some of my quilts in the Comments to this review: The Quilter's Bible by Linda Clements and Darlene Zimmerman's The Quilter's Edge.Have fun!

Although I am not a quilter, I purchased this as a gift for my mother and it seems like a quality publication with lots of templates for quilting and beautiful photography. There are also several cross stitch projects and I really like the one titled "Grandmother's Garden" which, like all Blackbird Designs cross stitch charts, allows for personalization with an alphabet and numbers you can use to personalize it for your family.However, if you are solely a stitcher and not interested in quilting, this is an expensive book for the two cross stitch projects included (there may have been three cross stitch charts, but only two come to my mind at the moment.) There is the sampler project I mentioned, plus a pin cushion cross stitch chart with the wonderful Blackbird ladies' directions for assembling the pin cushion. Bottom line: for quilters (which I am NOT) I'd say this is a good addition to your collection. For counted cross stitch only, I would say pass no buying this book as the cost for only 2 or 3 cross stitch projects is rather high.

There is one quilt I will make.

Love this book and immediately started a project. The floral bouquet shown on the cover.

It is very good

To good to be true.

I wanted the pattern featured on the cover and it is wonderful.Very good directions. it will be beautiful when finished. Thanks.

As usual the girls have enchanted me, however I missed the mix of patchwork and applique in the main quilt which make the work of art much more interesting