Publishers Weekly
Loewen encourages readers to throw out the quilting rule book in this creative take on the craft. The projects start out relatively structured, limiting improvisation to color selection. For instance, Loewen shares how to make an Irish chain quilt by cutting 125 fabric squares of various colors and feeling out where to place each of them in the chain design. Next, she incorporates the “ruler-cut piecing” technique, showing how to construct a ramshackle sawtooth star quilt by sewing half-square triangles at imperfect angles and trimming the lopsided edges against a ruler. Additional techniques are even more distinctive, including “wonky log cabin” blocks made from irregularly sized rectangles and half-square triangles with curved lines instead of straight diagonals. The quilts become more impressive the farther they stray from the neat geometry of traditional quilts. The “scrap-bin cleanout” quilt involves assembling bits of leftover fabric in an elaborate collage of rectangles, while the “rainbow arcs” project juxtaposes deliberately lopsided arcs of color with sawtooth blocks that resemble the jagged shapes used to emphasize comic book punches. The asymmetrical designs offer a refreshing departure from standard quilting fare, and an extensive section on color theory will aid readers in creating harmonious compositions from their fabric scraps. This is sure to get quilters’ creative juices flowing.
Library Journal – Jan 16 2025
Loewen has been designing and making quilts for over two decades. In this book, she invites readers to approach projects spontaneously and free from the strict rules of traditional quilting. She explains that improv quilting happens when quilts are created without a final product in mind—an approach that requires flexibility and an experimental mindset. Loewen uses clear instructions and step-by-step visuals of projects that are cut with and without a ruler and has sections on advanced quilting and assembling the final project. She suggests reading the book from beginning to end and approaching the process in a certain order but gives consistent and gentle reminders that perfection is not the goal. The book provides many examples of compatible color schemes and explains the importance of tertiary colors and working with a 12-color wheel. Loewen’s emphasis on creativity and intuition will give readers confidence to develop work that expresses their personal style. Of note, this book uses imperial measurements, and the author has provided the metric equivalents, which were calculated following standard conversion practices.
VERDICT An excellent choice for creative quilters of all levels who are interested in a more free-flowing style of working with fabric.
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