East-Meets-West Quilts : Explore Improv with Japanese-Inspired Designs
Explore Improv with Japanese-Inspired Designs
Patricia Belyea
Improv quilting, in which quilt designs emerge organically as fabric is cut and stitched, is simple, popular, and fun. In this book, expert quilter Patricia Belyea offers improv instruction and shares her appealing Quilt Manifesto of five simple rules. While providing quilters with a starting point, the fifth rule of the Manifesto, "Break any rule you like," opens the door to creative freedom. (However, the solid instructions allow even the rule-breakers to create beautiful quilts on the first try). Fourteen projects combine authentic Japanese yukata cottons and contemporary fabrics; each is finished with bold hand-stitching. The quilt-making process is presented in detail, and each quilt shows the irresistible wabi-sabi influence of Japanese design. The sense of discovery in each project is inspiring and out of the ordinary.
Patricia Belyea is the founder of Seattle-based company Okan Arts. She is a former career marketer turned quilting professional, and an influencer with a strong presence in the quilt industry (she is co-chair of the 2016 National Art Quilt Symposium in 2016). Belyea is a sought-after lecturer, teacher, and quilt journalist.