The Quilter's Negative Space Handbook

About Sylvia Schaefer

Sylvia Schaefer is a pattern designer and award-winning quilter. She holds a PhD in Marine Science, and her background in science often inspires her quilt designs. Her designs have appeared in magazines and her printed patterns are sold in quilt shops around the world. Visit her website www.flyingparrotquilts.com.

British Patchwork & Quilting

It is a design technique leaving large open spaces. The introduction defines negative space as 'space surrounding around or between the subjects.' It begins with exercises encouraging experimenting with traditional blocks. The instructions and diagrams need careful study; these are not simple designs. The examples have cutting plans and templates often using foundation piecing.

All the patterns are shown in bright coloured fabric. An interesting new trend in quilting.

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Cut & Alter

I actually received and read it through from start to finish in one day. It is so much more than a book of patterns and contains such useful information for anyone interested in making modern quilts - either from a pattern or by designing their own.

In each chapter there is information on techniques to make quilts modern, for example taking a traditional block quilt and removing elements, varying sizes and inverting colours to name a few. I really liked how Sylvia talks you through each process and gives examples along the way. Some of these are computer generated images but there are so many lovely photos of real quilts that just make you want to touch them.

If you don't want to design yourself, each chapter has a pattern with full instructions for you to make the quilt. I have to say I now have more quilts added to my ever-growing, or is that never-ending, to do list.

The quilt below features in the book as an example of disintegration but it isn't a pattern in the book - I just included it here because I happen to love it!

All in all I think this is a fantastic book and a wonderful resource for quilters both modern quilters and those looking to explore modern routes more. Watch this space for upcoming quilts that will be made using some of these techniques.

See the full review here.