Others say...

"Detailed and Forthright"
I find Sally Collins' quilts stunning and she clearly is a perfectionist. The methods in this book have helped me improve my piecing. We see many books on how to make quilts fast. Ms. Collins encourages quilters to make quilts well. She is a master crafter in this field and the book is excellent in my opinion.

"Absolutely excellent!"
This is the book I have been looking for. This book very clearly describes the techniques I needed to put into regular practice to improve my piecing skills.

For example, I have always wondered about the "skant 1/4-inch seam." How wide is that? How can I be precise in my piecing if the measurements aren't precise? ARGHHHH! Then, along came this book. I read it cover-to-cover and immediately put some of the techniques into practice. Ms. Collins explained how to cut the pieces properly so you can sew precise 1/4-inch seams and forget about trying to find that mysterious skant 1/4-inch! This may sound silly, but I experienced an "A-HA!" moment while fine-tuning my rotary cutting skills using the information provided by Ms. Collins.

WARNING! There are no "short-cut" techniques here. This is definitely NOT a book for someone looking for how to do it faster or quicker. It is a book about how to do it BETTER. Ms. Collin's clear descriptions are enhanced by excellent photos and diagrams.

I also bought Ms. Collins' book "Borders, Bindings and Edges: The Art of Finishing Your Quilt" - another book I wholeheartedly recommend.

"Piecing book with meat"
This book has very helpful information on how to improve piecing technique. I'm a beginner quilter (~1 year) & I've had a hard time finding books with this type of instruction and level of detail. Many of the books I have come across cover the same old information, but don't suggest ways to improve accuracy on the level that this book does. This book has tips that I have not come across in other quilter books. I think it will greatly help the appearance of my quilts.

"not just for the perfectionist"
sally collins shares even more of her techniques for fantastic quilts in this book (i have her others). the perfectionists, miniaturists and competitive quiltmkers will love this book, but any quilter can benefit from it.

the author makes it clear from the start that her goal is the highest quality workmanship she can achieve. she also makes it clear that she understands that not every quilter is of the same mind. but for those of us who want our work to be as good as we can make it, this book is invaluable.

her writing style is clear, easily understood and frequently amusing. she covers color choice, tools, techniques, and designing. she notes the ways she does not follow perceived wisdom in her quilting choices, which is interesting. the photos and diagrams are very clear.

then there are the projects--the stunning, beautiful quilts i was lucky enough to see in person.

for those not familiar with collins' work, the dimensions are not misprinted. yes, that is a pieced 4 1/2 inch quilt. the beauty of her techniques is that they are just as effective in 12" blocks as they are in 2" blocks. and the first part of the book gives you the information to make these gorgeous designs king-sized if desired.

definitely belongs in any quilter's library.