Quilts du Jour

September 1, 2015

In their first book, coauthors Buck and Guffy, founders of quilting blog Modern Quilt Relish, deliver six modern quilt blocks, along with numerous ideas for transforming them via different settings, sizes, and layouts. The authors use a food theme to tie their blocks together--all of the blocks and projects are named after something food-related, and the directions are called recipes. The blocks are presented in two sizes--an eight-inch size and a 16-inch size. The eight-inch size is used in six different pillow projects as well as several of the quilt projects, and the 16-inch in the quilt projects. The introduction includes inventive ideas for using two rulers to cut large pieces of fabric, a technique that is helpful given the amount of negative space in the projects, and the quilt block instructions are easy to follow. Their style is bold and graphic, featuring large geometric shapes and creative use of color and pattern. Even if Buck and Guffy's minimalist style isn't your thing, their guide to quilt block settings, which includes everything from the standard grid setting to asymmetrical styles such as the radiating setting, is helpful. Each setting includes sketches of the four basic quilt sizes (baby, crib, throw, and queen) with measurement guides and suggestions for block placement. VERDICT The food theme is somewhat forced--"Glycemic Index" is a pretty unappealing name for a quilt pattern--but modern quilters with a taste for minimalism and asymmetry will enjoy Buck and Guffy's twists and turns on their six basic blocks.

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