Scrap Quilts Fit for a Queen: Or a King, Twin, or Lap

This is the third book I've bought by Sally Schneider. She has made "scraps" an elegantly PC term. Quilts Fit for a Queen shows off Schneider's wonderful color sense and her ability to create a perfectly balanced layout. Traditional blocks become extraordinary in her hands. Here, classic blocks (mostly stars) are integrated with clever sashings and secondary blocks, all punched up with color for a beautiful collection of 10 projects. An example of her skills is "Farmer's Daughter". Schneider uses unusually vivid fabrics, adding a 4-point star as the cornerstone. These 2 blocks are then set within a near-"Burgoyne Surrounded" sashing, and the result is phenomenal. I particularly like the detail of her instructions for that 4-point star; I've tried to make this many times, but always got it wrong and the seams unmatchable. Her close-ups and freezer-paper method will most definitely create an accurate block. The quilt on the cover is "Merry-go-Round". Its straight-forward appearance belies its intricate construction. This is a bit of a mind-bender in that each completed block also contains one quarter of an adjacent block; it will require careful (but fun) planning and looking ahead. I love this type of design for its economy and wiliness; it's almost like cheating, but with permission to do so. And if you make a mistake and mismatch those corner quarters, you can argue that you're just making a scrappy quilt even scrappier! Some projects include cutting layouts so you'll get the most mileage from your scraps. And true to the book's title, 9 of the 10 projects have cutting grids for 4 different sizes, with an illustration for each. ("Maple Star" has options for only twin and king.) To give you an idea of size variations within a given configuration, the smallest lap-sized quilt is 39 inches by 53 inches ("Festival Star", a quiet riot of color, with an auxiliary star built from the sashing strips) and the largest is "Maple Star" (a pleasing combination of two classics: Ohio Star and Courthouse Steps). Schneider even has coordinated pillow shams covered - literally - but not here in this book. She directs you to her to own site for this, where you get to sneak a peek at her studio and read her musings on UFOs. The only _ONLY_ thing that would send this book beyond perfection is if it also included photographs for alternate color palettes or different fabric print schemes. But since this is a scrap-oriented book, maybe that would be less useful than it is in other books. Either way, I now fully appreciate the importance of balance in a layout, and I want to make every quilt here. And so might you, if you're not intimidated by the vast numbers of pieces required for some of these projects. Check out her other books.

I have been quilting for several years and have accumulated quite a fabric stash. I have not seen many scrap quilt patterns that I like until I found this book. Sally Schneider's guide to color and her thoughtful approach to scrap quilting is just what I needed. All the quilts in this book are well planned and beautiful. The instructions are clear and concise for every stage of making the quilt tops. There is a project for everyone from beginner to advanced and most will be able to go right to their stash and get started.

Ditto everything S.L.Smith said. I have been a Sally Schneider fan ever since she lived in Washington and had her first book, (I think) Scrap Happy published in 1990. Scrap Quilts Fit for a Queen Or a King, Twin, or Lap! may be her best book yet. The quilts are all gorgeous, and I'd like one of each. Sally has a wonderful way with the scrap look, and she is also great with settings and borders. I took a workshop with her long ago, and she showed me how the way I wanted to simplify the corners of the borders would lose the whole look. One of the features I really like about this latest book is that she has done all the math for us of making the quilts in the size we want. I make a lot of lap size quilts for veterans, and I love that I can start cutting and sewing without having to do a lot of calculations. If you love traditional quilts, you should own this book. (And all her previous books.)

The best thing about this book is the fact that it tells you exactly how much material you need and exactly what the measurements are for all of the bed sizes. It is very one on one instructions, allowing for a wonderful experience in quilting.

I can't wait to start on the quilts in this book. I like being able to create a king size without having to figure the yardage and size of the blocks. Call me lazy but I really like that I can focus on the fabrics and not have to design.

This is an excellent quilting book. I would highly recommend it for competent beginners and up. The tips included in the book are effective, useful and many contain information I’ve not found in other quilting publications, of which I have many.

I love this book - it's perfect for scrap quilts and there's no guessing on how many blocks to make for whatever size you want to make! It's all laid out for you so it's easy!

another great book from sally. clear instructions on cutting and poecing your quilts plus the results in her masterfully created quilts. good book for everyone! a must have for your quilt library.

I bought this book after seeing one of the quilts on a calender. All the quilts are bright and fresh looking and have detailed cutting charts for several sizes. They are not difficult and most are made from scraps . An excellent book with easy to follow instructions. Two of my friends have each bought their own copy.

Thought this was going to show/tell me how to make quilts that I couldn't do already. Its actually very pedestrian, boring and added nothing to the small collection of quilt books I already have. Had I looked at it in a book shop I would have put it back on the shelf.