Little Gems: 15 Paper-Pieced Miniature Quilts - Perfect for DIY Home Decor, Wall Art & Gift Ideas | Handmade Quilting Projects for Beginners & Experts

Little Gems is a must-buy/must-make collection of diminutive beauties that all measure 12"x12". As an added bonus, they are paper-pieced, primed for embellishing, and perfectly sized for ready-made hangers and display stands. Author Connie Kauffman shows off her handiwork on delightful display stands from a company she identifies in the book.The book is very instructive with nicely sufficient text and drawn diagrams. Kauffman reminds us why even experienced quilters need to keep reading the "techniques and basics" sections of all these quilt books. If we're lucky (or diligent) we'll discover a nugget such as this one: use 50- or 60-weight thread to reduce bulk. You'll improve your accuracy in piecing and matching points with a thinner thread.The question that *always* must be answered for miniature quilts is: what is the seam allowance? Traditional miniatures have an 1/8-inch SA, while more recent designs have the user-friendly ¼-inch SA. This info tends to be buried in the text. Fortunately, because we're talking about paper-piecing here, the SA is clearly marked on each paper pattern. The seam allowance is our familiar ¼ inch.A few noteworthy observations: COLOR; lots of triangles; tons of opportunities for yo-yos, charms, and buttons; COLOR; unusual borders; crafty edgings; COLOR.I want to make each of these cuties in exactly the same colorways that Ms. Kauffman used for the book. And if I can ever break away from doing that, each of these projects would be ideal for playing with value/tone/shading, different prints, and alternate fabric genres. Most of these 15 projects will take on another look - but be just as striking, possibly more so - done up in 30's retro prints or jewel-tone sateens.Little Gems moves to the top 3 of my favorite miniature quilting books.Rated: must buy.