Patchwork Among Friends: From Patterns to Potlucks

Patchwork Among Friends: From Patterns to Potlucks
Gifted By: Crosley-Griffith Publishing Company
www.judymartin.com
Reviewed by Mollyhall Seeley, Editor for FaveQuilts

Quilts have always been about community. Made by loving hands, they are passed from person to person, giving warmth to fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, neighbors, friends, pets, even strangers. The lifespan of a quilt reflects the quilter, touching and intersecting with those around him or her. Nowhere is this idea better encapsulated than in Judy Martin's Patchwork Among Friends: From Patterns to Potlucks. This book takes the idea of community quilting to its finest incarnation, with quilt patterns specifically designed for parties, exchanges, guilds, charities, and, of course, potlucks.

Martin is known for her designs' refusal to "take the easy way out," so to speak, and the patterns in Patchwork Among Friends are no different. Visually complex, colorful, and completely unique, these quilts are not for the faint of heart. But Martin doesn't leave her readers out in the cold, as every pattern has a detailed step-by-step which makes even the most complicated patterns accessible to quilters of various skill levels and experience. These are complicated quilts without complicated processes. Martin also includes a "Quilt Making Skills" section, which walks the reader through key quilting methods and techniques to ensure that their quilts are as stunning as the blankets pictured in the book.

And of course, the "Potluck" feature of "Patterns to Potlucks" is not to be missed. Along with 10 stunning quilt patterns, Martin includes 12 scrumptious potluck recipes, pulled from her own life (as with "Judy's Spaghetti Sauce Recipe") and experiences. From a warm quilt to a warm plate of food, with Patchwork Among Friends, you'll never arrive at a party empty-handed.