About a Book: Quilt Local

Heather Jones's book, Quilt Local:  Finding Inspiration in the Everyday, is a beautiful book.  The photographs are as bright and beautiful as the fabric she uses to create her quilts.  Heather travelled around Ohio, photographed various places throughout the state, then took inspiration from what she saw to create quilts.  Many of the quilts in the book are based on architectural details.

Chapter 1 includes the author's thoughts on  the process of obtaining inspiration from the everyday things she sees around her and four ways that help her keep track of the inspiration.  Chapter 2 focuses on her "idiosyncratic lesson" in color theory (with gorgeous photographs!).  Chapter 3 covers her process in sketching and planning a quilt.  And in Chapter 4 are basic methods of quilt construction.  The rest of the book is devoted to the quilts she's created.

There are directions to make 18 quilts with color variations for all.  Each quilt is named for the location of its inspiration with names like Lebanon, Dayton, Eden Park, Terminal, and Red Lion.  She introduces each quilt with a "biography."

The book is photo-rich with views of her sketchbooks, pages that include a photograph of the inspiration, a layout of each quilt, and measurements for cutting.  The book also includes photos of the finished quilts. 











I think of these quilts as primarily modern and minimal and probably not quilts I would make.  But, of course, I would love this book:  she writes about the inspiration behind her quilts!

I highly recommend this book if you're interested in creating quilts based on inspiration, in seeing inspiration in everyday objects, in learning about how another quilt designer works, and/or in viewing some gorgeous photographs.  Or you'd like to make any or all of the quilts.

--Nancy.
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