Whip Up Mini Quilts - Book Review and Giveaway

Created by Kathreen Ricketson, 'Whip Up Mini Quilts' is a book showcasing 24 contemporary small quilt patterns.

A few weeks ago, Kathreen took some time out of motherhood and Whip Up to answer a few questions about the book.

Can you tell us a little bit about your creative background, what inspired you to start crafting?

I had a very crafty childhood, my mother is very much all about handmade - everything from making clothes to bottling fruit and even raising our chickens for food. My grandmother lived with us throughout my childhood and I learned a lot from her, she was an amazing seamstress and cook. I inherited her sewing machine which I recently passed onto my daughter.

How did you come up with the idea behind the 'Mini Quilt' book?

The idea for the book 'Mini Quilts' was a collaboration between Chronicle books and me, they wanted me to something with them and I proposed a few different ideas - that's the one that they like the best. I think the idea of a curated quilt book really appealed.

Kathreen has done a fantastic job in selecting the contributor's and as such the book caters to all contemporary tasted and skill levels. The book is perfect for the novice but equally suitable for the more experienced quilter looking for challenge, there really is something for everyone.

Did the contributors have a design brief to work within?

The contributors in the book, artists, makers and quilters were given a very loose creative brief. I wanted them to be able to fully explore what a Mini Quilt meant to them. I am glad I let them have free reign as the results are so diverse, exploring many themes and using many different traditional techniques.

The patterns are grouped into the following categories: Romantic, Playful, Modern Folk, Modern Elegance, Geometric, Punk - Pop - Politics, Memorial - Storytelling.

The wonderful thing about the mini quilts in the book is that it gives readers a chance to try different techniques such as shibori dyeing, piecing concentric circles and incorporating photos into a quilt, to name just a few. More traditional methods like paper piecing and applique are also used.

The book has many inspiring quilts; do you have a favourite?

It is so difficult for me to answer that question because they are all so different. My daughters favourite is the 'Grasshoper in my gardern', and my husbands favourite is the 'two heads are better than one', my brother (father of 2 little boys) loves the Road transport quilted pillow and my son adores the TREGR map. I love them all for so many different reasons.

I know them all so intimately, having looked at them and edited the instructions for months on end. Nicole's Granny's delight really appeals to my cheeky sense of humour, the circus quilt is so clever an colourful. Concentric circles looks simple and zen but has these hidden layers. Imagine by Jude Hill is very special and shows how one image can tell a whole story, the layers of stitching and applique is so heartfelt.

Along with the quilt patterns, the book touches on the 'history of the quilt', 'selecting fabrics' as well as the various tools and equipment required when making a quilt. There is also a comprehensive section on quilt construction, basic block types, machine and hand piecing, embroidery stitches, quilting and binding a quilt.

In short, the 'Whip Up Mini Quilt' book is a great addition to a quilter's library.

We have one copy of the 'Whip Up Mini Quilt' book to giveaway, please leave a comment on this post and tell us a little about your idea for a mini quilt - winner will be drawn on Saturday 8th May!