Fresh Quilting: Fearless Color, Design & Inspiration

by Malka Dubrawsky

Brighten up any room with fun, contemporary, and functional projects exploding with sensational color! Fresh Quilting presents 21 brilliant designs featuring quilt artist Malka Dubrawsky’s intoxicating colors and unexpected palettes.
Learn to create beautiful and lively pieces for you and your home?from modern quilts and fun pillows to flirty bags and scarves. In addition to clear directions and step-by-step illustrations for machine-sewn patchwork and quilted projects, Fresh Quilting includes a detailed section of techniques from basic piecing, cutting, and measuring methods to more advanced techniques such as inserting zippers into pillow backs and using bias binding to finish a quilt. Throughout Fresh Quilting , Malka will teach you how to adventurously and confidently mix colors and prints. You’ll be inspired to infuse your own brilliant palettes into each project and discover just how irresistible and beautiful contemporary quilting can be!

Genres: Quilting, Nonfiction, Sewing, Crafts, How To, Reference, Adult

160 pages, Paperback

First published December 7, 2010

About the author

I'm a fiber artist and designer. I've done a lot of magazine work and my first book, Color Your Cloth: A Quilter's Guide to Dyeing and Patterning Fabric, has just been published by Lark Books."

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

cannot wait to start some of these awesome modern quilting projects!

[Candy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ideas about color are incorporated when telling about each quilt instead of being relegated on pages about color. I liked that.
Malka's quilts are not "perfect". What I sensed was enthusiasm and enjoyment of the process of creating.

[liberal sprinkles · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a pretty book this is. I love author Malka Dubrawsky's use of colors in her projects, I was just surprised that she did not talk in detail about color theory or choices. I thought it would have been useful and informative since the subtitle is "fearless color, design and inspiration".

That said, [[ASIN:1596682353 Fresh Quilting: Fearless Color, Design, and Inspiration]] is a real riot of colors. The color combinations and fabric mix are right up my alley and made many of the designs pop. While the patterns are not very complicated or revolutionary, they became so much more attractive because of the color schemes used. Dubrawsky's style often includes wonkiness - something not everyone might appreciate, but gave her works a modern, fresh and young look. I think the wonky style would appeal to crafters who aren't attracted to the rigidness of conservative piecing and quilting.

The book includes a wide range of the usual projects including pillows, pot holders, coasters, bags and 6 quilts; there's a detailed introduction to materials, tools and techniques for patchworking and quilting; and there are instructions for putting in a zipper and different types of piecing: strips, hexagons, diamonds and improvisational.

Overall, a very attractive sewing book although the designs may not be for everyone.

[Kara · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, the colors were pretty, but I just didn't love this book. This sounds trivial, but in several images, it looked liked Dubrawsky's sewing machine tension was waaaay off. (Page 34 and 93, for example.) Why would you include something that looks so unprofessional in a book like this? The sewing machine cover and needle case were cute. The author favors very closely spaced parallel lines of quilting, which, even for me (who loves quilting) spells: unfinished project. I just don't have the patience or time for that level of detail. When not all muckeyed up by poor stitching, some of the quilts are very pretty to look at, but I can't see myself doing anything more than looking at them.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ultimate modern quilting book. Truly fresh. I loved the use of color, the textures created in the quilts and the projects. Beautiful photos, stepped out instructions & inspiring ideas. Update: Checked this out almost two years after first reading, it's still fresh. Recommended for sewists looking to bridge into quilting as there are several small projects for those wanting to test the modern quilting waters.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are nice pictures to look at and the instructions section is pretty good, but there is nothing here I can see myself making and nothing that is I haven't seen in other quilt/sewing books. A lot of things seem difficult for hte sake of being difficult, and I'm not a fan of improvisational piecing, which is part of why many designs are out for me.

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book from my local library. I only saw a two patterns I liked in the entire book. But hey, isn't this what these books are used for? Little patterns here and there right? Loved the colors used and this is a good book to get from the local library.

[Erika Mulvenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a decent intro to materials and tools for beginners. The projects are fine, it's just not my style. Good book if you are a beginner or new quilter and like this style of quilting and projects.

[Trish Boese · Rating 4 out of 5]

4* I just finished a hegagon quilt using the pattern from this book. It is a fun book to read, and the Honeycomb Hexagon quilt inspired me to make my own version using pink and yellow vintage linens.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has really cute ideas with nice patterns and easy directions. I will probably not be going with quite so bold of colors on my projects. But they are still super cute.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great pics and directions to make one of these projects on your own, or do what I did, and just get some inspiration.

[Natasha Friegang · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give it more stars I would. I had to check this out from the library when I saw it. The colors she uses are so beautiful and modern looking. It makes me want to sew all the time.

[Jude Grebeldinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whirlgig page 133 to make for Jen.

[Jocelynne Broderick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't love this, the projects weren't things I haven't seen before.

[Tiffiny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book!!

[Misty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't tried any projects from this book yet, but I love the aesthetic.

[Lime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great ideas, fresh colours, and original patterns. Made a few things, plan to make more. As some say, her sewing skills are uneven, but this didn't detract for me.