| Thimbleberries Big Book of Quilt Blocks | 
 enlarge | Author: Lynette Jensen
Publisher: Publishing Solutions
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
Buy New: $12.99
You Save: $16.96 (57%)
Buy New/Used from $9.93
Avg. Customer Rating:   (7 reviews)
Sales Rank: 317655
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Edition: Perennial & 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.2
Dimensions (in): 10.1 x 9.1 x 0.8
ISBN: 1932533052
Dewey Decimal Number: 746
EAN: 9781932533057
ASIN: 1932533052
Publication Date: March 1, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
From fabric designer, author, and quilting expert, Lynette Jensen and her Thimbleberries Design Studio, comes her very first collection ever of block print quilt designs sure to delight her legions of fans as well as quilters of all ages and skill levels. Lynette begins with the quilting basics then moves on through the chapters with 60 block designs which can be easily assembled to make 5 gorgeous and colorful quilts. Whether looking to create a gorgeous gift or add to the home decor, Thimbleberries Big Book of Blocks has the right design to please.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 Lots of great quilt blocks presented very well. January 20, 2007
If you are a fan of antique quilts, country quilts, or Thimbleberries quilts, this book is for you, unless you already own the first five Thimbleberries block of the month series. For everyone else, this beautiful book is a superb collection of five quilts, containing 60 different blocks.
And it is a beautiful book. I have many quilt books - I wish they were all designed so well. The quilts, blocks, and instructions are laid out with clarity and simplicity. Images, both photos and diagrams, are large and uncluttered.
Each quilt is shown in a lovely country setting with an interesting description of the quilt and the blocks. Many quilt books stop there, but this book also includes a photograph of the entire quilt and a large photo of each quilt block. The fabric list also shows a photo of each suggested fabric. I love the photos.
The directions for each block are illustrated with handy diagrams that show block construction.
The quilts were designed to be non-intimidating, completed a block per month. And the quilt blocks get more complex further into the book. They serve as a fine quilting course, with a little help from a how to quilt book. There are quilt directions included, but a complete beginner may need more help.
The first quilt is called "Month by Month." Each block represents a different month of the year. I think a pillow made from the block for their birth month would be a thoughtful gift for just about anyone. The blocks would also be nice as slipcovers for living room throw pillows to change out each month or season.
Me, I like villages. I collect them, and fill my knick-knack shelves with little houses. The second quilt, "Thimbleberries Village," is perfect for me. With blocks like "Main Street Manor," and "Log Cabin Lane," that I can cap off with "Sunlight" and "Apple Orchard," how can I resist?
I have several friends and relatives who feed the birds (and squirrels) year-round. The third quilt, "Safe Haven," is full of birdhouses in a vertical style.
Next, you can stitch pieced blocks of tulips, bleeding heart, lilies, and daisies in the fourth quilt, "A Quilter's Garden." It's remarkable how these five quilts are so alike in style but differ in execution and design. The garden quilt is set on point, the birdhouse quilt blocks are vertical blocks, while the village quilt has an asymmetrical layout.
"Pansy Park," the fifth quilt, has blocks on point in a dramatic setting. The description calls it an important quilt and an heirloom quilt. The formal layout and lavish borders suit it very well.
For traditional-style quilters, this book deserves a place in your library. I enjoyed it thoroughly - great quilts presented very well.
A compendium of 60 of the most beloved and popular block quilt designs February 10, 2006
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Thimbleberries Big Book Of Quilt Blocks is a compendium of 60 of the most beloved and popular block quilt designs, each created for a different quilt-making style. The author, Lynette Jensen, is the founder of Thimbleberries Design Studio, which has brought about more than 850 Thimbleberries Quilt Clubs devoted to her original designs. Featuring color combinations that herald classic quilts, a range of projects from casual to formal, and streamlined techniques such as rotary-cutting and quick-piecing that save time while producing quality results, Thimbleberries Big Book Of Quilt Blocks is a collection of patterns, color diagrams and straightforward piecing instructions ideal for intermediate to experienced quilters.
Wonderful collection of some of the best patterns! February 1, 2006
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This book is a wonderful collection of some of Thimbleberries best patterns. The cutting instructions and assembly instructions are also very good.
 Its value depends on what you're looking for November 17, 2005
66 out of 69 found this review helpful
This book is a hard one to evaluate. If you're interested in a certain kind of quilting, it's a 5-star book without question. If you're looking for something different, it's somewhat disappointing.
Thimbleberries Big Book of Quilt Blocks shows you, step-by-step, how to make five quilts. They're all full size quilts: 62x78 inches, 88x96, 81x98, 92x112. However, they are all also *sampler* quilts; that is, you make 12 (or whatever) different blocks, using the same fabrics for each block, and then you sew them together into a larger quilt top. For example, the first quilt encourages you to make one quilt block for each month (which implies "make one each month," even though you could make 'em in one busy week I suppose).
The book does an excellent job of explaining the fabrics to use, and how much you'll need for the entire quilt. The "Pansy Park" quilt, for example, uses 1 1/8 yard of a small green leaf print for the whole quilt; that green is an accent in each of the blocks. (The quilt uses 18 other fabrics as well; plan to spend some time at the fabric store!) If you like to make a quilt that matches the picture, you'll appreciate how he book doesn't just say "small green leaf print;" it shows you a thumbnail image of the fabric. You can acquire a matching one (you can buy the Thimbleberries fabric, which is designed for RJR Fabrics) or pick something similar from your nearby quilting store.
Another thing I appreciate about the book is the thoroughness of the instructions. The construction of each block -- and there are LOTS of pretty blocks! -- is explained in detail. Each block is approached as a standalone project (including "at this point, the block should measure 14.5 inches square"), making it a good choice for those with limited time to work on a quilt. You _could_ get lost, but you'd have to work pretty hard to do so.
There are two downsides that keep me from loving this book. First is that it's all sampler quilts. I'm just not that fond of them, because it means a new setup for each block, and I don't personally care for the style. Of course, there's nothing to keep me from making an entire quilt using just one or two of the blocks they suggest (some of them are really gorgeous and the instructions are not intimidating, even for this "practicing beginner"), but I'd have to guess at the amount of fabric needed. I don't trust my math that much yet!
My second objection is to the fabric choices. All of the examples are in a very "country" style: little flowers on fabrics that, though not exactly calico, make me think of calico. They're mostly small-scale prints, too, with few designs suited for the big focus fabrics I prefer. ("Where can I fit that great purple bird fabric in THIS quilt?" I wonder.) And while there's a range of values, they aren't particularly bright. Obviously, I can pick my own colors... but the designs have lots of small squares and triangles. Few of them would work with my stash.
However, the last few paragraphs are entirely personal to my needs. Your idea of a great quilt is likely to be far different from mine. (Heck, I'm still proud of myself if my points line up right.) I don't expect you to agree with my taste. All I can do is give you my own look inside the book, and hope that its description is helpful.
If you like country sampler quilts, this book will be exactly what you'd hoped for -- it's a very well designed book, and probably a great one for someone who wants to try lots of different things.
Wonderful Buy and Gorgeous Book November 8, 2005
6 out of 16 found this review helpful
I have been very pleased with my first time order thru Amazon books.
Such quick service. My books were delivered less than 5 days and one was here in 3 days ! This is a really nice book. Lots of good color pictures and step by step instructions. Thimbleberries always have such pretty quilt blocks. I'm hoping they will do this again with more BOM blocks/quilts in the future. Thanks again, Amazon staff.
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