A Year of Quilting - by Debbie Shore & Melissa Naylor (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The ultimate week-by-week quilt-along companion from best-selling sewing author Debbie Shore and quilting expert Melissa Nayler: learn how to create 52 unique blocks - one for every week of the year - then combine them into a stunning patchwork quilt.

Follow the book from start to finish to create a stunning, harmonious quilt using all the block designs, or dip in and out, experiment with the techniques and then mix and match your favorite blocks to create your own unique creation. The book features:

• An inspiring variety of quilting techniques - from simple machine piecing and appliqué to foundation paper piecing, every block explores a different patchwork and/or quilting method.
• Simple instructions, perfect for beginners - each unique block is accompanied by easy-to-follow instructions, clear photography and full-size templates.
• All the patchwork and quilting techniques needed - from piecing your initial shapes right through to binding your finished quilt.

This book is inspired by Debbie and Melissa's incredibly popular Block of the Month quilt-along from the award-winning Half Yard Sewing Club: www.halfyardsewingclub.com

Review Quotes

Publishers Weekly
This cozy guide from Shore (Half Yard Autumn) and Nayler details how to create 52 fabric blocks that can be assembled into a large quilt. Writing for beginners, the authors recommend tools (rotary cutters "are useful for cutting around curves") and show how to make blanket, overcast, running, and slip stitches. The blocks build on each other, with techniques from simple early designs later recurring in more creative configurations. For instance, week one's flying geese design is incorporated into the upper-left-hand corner of week six's "Bird 1" square, which is otherwise filled out by a half log cabin design, and week 26's "Small Flower 4" square, in which the triangular "geese" are arrayed around a heart. Several blocks take inspiration from nature, such as the "tall bird," created by sewing a triangular beak and teardrop wing on a half-circle, and the "tall flower," which features an octagonal flower head with applique leaves. The authors also provide thorough instructions for assembling the blocks and attaching them, either by hand or sewing machine, onto quilt backing. The one-block-per-week conceit will help novices ease into the craft while learning a variety of design strategies. This is well worth seeking out. (Dec.)

Library Journal - Jan 15, 2025
Shore (Half Yard Sewing Book), host of the internet's Half Yard Sewing Club, and coauthor Naylor present a comprehensive introduction to quilting with a quilt that can be constructed one block a week, with each week's block building on the skills learned in the previous weeks. The result is an attractive quilt that has appeal for the experienced quiltmaker as well as the novice. In the first section, the authors introduce the tools and techniques needed, starting with the most basic patchwork building blocks, such as half-square triangles and flying geese, and continuing to introduce more challenging techniques including appliqué, foundation paper piecing, and English paper piecing. The instructions for each block refer back to the page on which the technique was introduced and templates are provided when needed. After the blocks have been assembled, the authors provide information on machine- and hand-quilting and a simple tie method. Every step is included, through the final binding.
VERDICT This book could serve as a handy reference work as well as the pattern for a delightful quilt.

About the Author

ABOUT DEBBIE
Debbie Shore is a best-selling and award-winning author. She began her career as a children's television presenter and since then has appeared regularly as an actress in various popular dramas and as a presenter on shopping channels. Debbie has developed her own range of fabrics, designed her own patterns, writes for several popular sewing magazine and has written over 30 books for Search Press with several more underway. She is the winner of Craft Influencer of the Year 2020 in the Craft Business Awards, and Social Media Influencer of the Year 2019 in the British Sewing Awards. Debbie has over 230,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel, which has over 30 million views. In 2018, Debbie launched her Half Yard Sewing Club, a monthly subscription service based on the mega-selling Half Yard(TM) series, and won the 2019 IPG Digital Publishing Award.

ABOUT MELISSA
Melissa Nayler is an avid quilter and sewist, and has been sewing seriously since her teens. For several years and in her spare time, she worked on mainly dressmaking projects, until her move to Bude in Cornwall, UK, changed her direction in sewing. Melissa discovered patchwork and quilting while volunteering at the local Citizens Advice Bureau, and became hooked before she'd even sewn a stitch. She has been an active member of a quilt and patchwork group for over 25 years.
When Melissa retired in 2014, she contacted Debbie Shore to offer her sewing skills for making samples for her TV shows. Over the past 10 years Debbie and Melissa developed a great friendship, and Melissa and Debbie have collaborated on several quilting projects, including the Block of the Month Quilts on Debbie's award-winning Half Yard Sewing Club.