dunster

I've purchased several Kaffe Fassett books, and I think they're some of the best books in my library. The photography of the quilts is especially beautiful. I don't agree that they have to be made with special fabrics. Many rely only on stripes, polka dots, solids, florals, etc. What he does is merge fabrics together in a very liberal, delightful way. His books have taught me to look at color and design differently.

BettyGee

Not a fan of Kaffe, just something about his designs and patterns that leave me totally uninterested. He probably figures that if you quilt you know to use a rotary cutter; that isn't fair to a new quilter. One more reason I don't care for him.

Joanne9of12

Don't let the templates scare you! I recently finished one of his pattern (Vintage) and I am currently working on another (Magic Carpet). I also have fabrics ready to cut for Reflecting Pool and Sunlight in the Forest, which I hope to get to this weekend. (I love to "kit up" and my fabrics so I can sit down and sew at a moments notice, even if it's for only 15 minutes at a time.)

Even though the patterns do not look like they include rotary cutting instructions, they actually do. For all of the patterns I've used, his square and rectangle templates have instructions for cutting strips across fabric and then sub-cutting. For example: From the Vintage pattern the instructions state - Template J - Cut 2" strips across width of fabric. Each strip will give you 20 patches per full width. Cut 53 - 2" squares of fabric GP70CH. ) For Template K (a triangle) - Cut 5 3/4" strips across width of fabric. Each strip will give you 24 triangles per width. Cut 5 3/4" squares, cut each square twice diagonally to form 4 triangles using the template as a guide.

For those patterns that have "odd" shapes, he does give instructions for cutting strips across the width of fabric and then using the template to cut the fabric from that. I have found that even though some of these templates are "odd," it is quite easy to translate them into rotary cutting using the angle markings on your rulers.

I think we quilters often don't recognize how much math (YUCK -that's a four letter word!) we actually know. :-)

YukonViv

I am anxiously awaiting my copy his latest to arrive by mail. I love my Kaffe Fasset books, they are so inspiring. I'm not a pattern follower, I'm very visual, show me what you want me to do and I'll do it. I see a template, I know what piece I'm trying to achieve and I cut (rotary) my fabric to make it work.

I just wanted to address the concern about new quilters, I have a friend that I taught to quilt. She's become extremely good at making quilt tops (she's decided she doesn't like the quilting portion of it and sends it off to a local long armer) and she's developed a great style that is hers.

Her second quilt was a Kaffe Fasset and it's fabulous! It was Sunlight in the Forest and it taught her a lot about how to achieve the look she wanted...templates show you your shape and go from there. It was a great learning tool for her and I must say she's hooked. It's given her a great base to build her future quilts on and the confidence not to follow a quilt patterns direction if she chooses not to.

Letty

[I think that his books are more to be used as inspiration than instruction books, LettyQUOTE=gramma nancy;6350146]I borrowed "Kaffe Fassett's Quilt Grandeur" from the library. Some lovely quilts and wonderful pictures. But there are NO rotary cutting instructions (though "rotary cutter" is defined in the glossary.) There are templates, even for simple squares, rectangles and triangles. Does anyone know why that is? Has he specifically rejected the rotary cutting aspect of modern quilting? His fabrics and color combinations are certainly modern. I know I can figure out the cutting on my own; they are simple shapes. But I hope someone might have read an interview or something where he explains the absence of a staple of modern quilting. Any thoughts?[/QUOTE]

Wanabee Quiltin

I am a big fan of his and would not even begin to tell you why he does what he does. I do know that if you look at the back of the book, many of the quilts are really designed and made by others like Roberta Horton and her sister Mary Masuda. He does design quilts, I am totally in love with his designs and have a full drawer devoted to his fabrics. All of the quilt books that I have by him have templates also. I just never noticed specific instructions for rotary cutting, probably because I have so many older quilt books that I have to adjust to the way I cut and sew.

kwajgirl

All the templates are in the back of the book. On each design it will direct you to the templates which are marked with letters (XX, Z, etc.). If you transfer them to clear template material you can align them on an appropriate ruler and use your rotary cutter. You do, however, have to read the directions to find out how he or the person who designed the specific quilt suggest construction. If you are an experienced quilter quite often you will say ahhhh, I know a better way to piece this block.

I have all his books, and have taken a class from him and he definitely uses a rotary cutter.

madamekelly

Templates now come in so many sizes and shapes that some prefer them to using a ruler and rotary cutter, that said, he may feel this way or just assume we all know how to cut.

GrannieAnnie

Why would you need instructions? a four inch square is a 4 in square if you tear it, use scissors or a rotary cutter---------or even have your pet mouse chew it for you?

cashs_mom

I've made a couple of Kaffe Fassett quilts and found them easy to do. I'm a novice quilter, but have done quite a bit of piecing for garments. I thought they had all the instructions that were needed and can be made with any fabrics, not just his. He does make his quilts for his books out of his fabrics, of course, but I used my own and the quilt for my bed came out great.

Edit: I forgot to add that Kaffe is definitely not a quilter himself. When I took the class from him, Liza Prior Lucy was with him. She's the one that was actually making the quilts at the time. Kaffe did the design work and Lucy sewed them for him. He's a truly amazing person and sees color and design in a totally different way than I was used to. I love his books just to look at the pictures. The photography is beautiful. And every once in a while, I make something from one of them.