Member Reviews
The book was easy to read and follow. I would recommend it to those wishing to learn more about sewing and quilting.
This book is easy enough for beginners, yet still interesting (it isn't TOO simple)! I enjoyed it and I think that many of my students will, too! I highly recommend this book
Each chapter starts with a skill-building lesson for the skill required and then has three projects with increasing difficulty. The third project in each section is a lap-sized quilt.
All the projects shown in the book have been completed by children, so they give a realistic impression of what a child can make. Things aren't picture perfect, and there are lots of comments about how imperfections add to the character of the finished item. My daughter gets frustrated when things don't turn out exactly the way she expects when making things, so it's nice that this book doesn't present an unrealistic image.
The projects are all unisex. Most of the kids featured in the book are girls, but there are one or two boys included in the book. I guess that's a function of who turns up to their classes and camps. It's nice to show that it's not all for girls though. There are ideas at the end of each project for how you can make changes to add a personal touch.
Now, there are a few quirks in the book. Firstly, what they call "foundation piecing" is taking a larger piece of plain fabric, and glueing and stitching fabric scraps on top of it to create a unique piece of fabric. While I understand it's a simple way to get kids starting to sew, foundation piecing is not the correct term for this, and it doesn't feel like real sewing or quilting to me (but maybe I'm becoming a purist!).
Also, the instructions say to bind a quilt before you quilt it. I'm used to quilting and then binding. I'm not sure if they think this way is easier for kids, particularly if hand-sewing or tieing the quilt. It just seemed odd to me.
Those quibbles aside, if you've taught your child the basics of using a sewing machine, they will love this book for sewing inspiration. The projects have a playful feel, and kids will find the projects useful without being boring. There are lots of photos of each step. However, depending on the age and experience of your child, you'll still need to supervise and guide your kids through the process.
A lovely book for beginner quilters. bursting with pictures.. fun projects and easy to understand instructions. Although it is primarily for children I think it is a brilliant book for adult beginners too as the information is so clear and there are so many great pictures. It is one of the easiest books to follow that I have read on quilting and would highly recommend it. Thank You
Younger students (late elementary and middle school) seeking to try quilting will find fifteen wonderful projects in SEWING SCHOOL QUILTS by Amie Petronis Plumley. This book is very appealing visually and is full of instructional photos as well as images and thought bubbles to encourage young quilters. I also liked that it had a glossary of terms and plenty of helpful information about quilting and sewing in general. The progression of difficulty for the projects was very gradual with projects like personal placemats, a colorful waterfall quilt, and pocket tic-tac-toe. There was an obvious effort to meet student abilities and an encouraging tone throughout. This would be a fun addition for a Scout Troop or similar group looking for an activity, perhaps to make family gifts while learning useful skills.
I sponsored an after school quilting club several years ago. This book would have been perfect for that group. This book has excellent photographs and projects. The selfie quilt and t-shirt quilt are my favorite projects. I will definitely recommend this to my school media specialist for our school library. I plan to purchase a copy for my own daughter.
I found this really informative. I used to sew and helped my grandma quilt when I was young, and I'm interested in getting back into both. I thought this book was a great introduction. I loved that there were so many step by step photos for each part of the process. I'm a visual learner so I thought that was really helpful. I'm adding this book to my wish list.
This book was nothing new to me as I have taught children in a group setting how to quilt. And speaking from experience, this book is right on. It has all the tips and tricks I would suggest and at least one I am going to steal. And while this is geared towards kids, I think there are some adults who might find this an easier book to learn from than many of the books for adults.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book, it was quite comprehensive and will give children the confidence to have a go for themselves. The most outstanding component of this book is that the reader can see that the children and teens are actively engaging in these projects themselves and each finished product is celebrated no matter how it turns out. A big thumbs up from me.
Each lesson is thorough and goes through the steps thoroughly. I appreciate that words like block, binding and batting are used so that the makers get a true understanding of quilting and sewing. The kit explanation was a fantastic visual guide and leaves no room for error when gathering supply.
If you have a children that really wants to sew, this book is the perfect teaching guide, particularly due to the step by step pictures of the projects. This book would also be perfect for a super beginner adult as well, especially if you find it hard to follow instructions.