It's Raining Cats & Dogs: Paper-Pieced Quilts for Pet Lovers

Rating:
Summary: Whimsical but not "cutesy"!
Review: I loved the way Janet Klime came up with cat quilts that are not cutesy or countrified, but rather some that are funky and even, in the case of the Siamese, sophisticated. The dog designs are great, too, but some of them do lean a little to the cute side. There are lots of different styles to choose from, so everyone is bound to find something that they like in this book. The designs are simple, unlike some paper pieced patterns with 33 pieces to a block. I completed a two-cat design called "tryst" (two cats with entwined tails) in about two hours with NO ripping out! I know that I will actually USE this book many times over, rather than just keeping it on my quilt book shelf. Have already purchased the fabric for the gorgeous Siamese!

Rating:
Summary: Angus,Come!
Review: This book has detailed colored pictures of all projects, and patterns that INCLUDE the seam allowance (my 2 most important factors in buying a paper piecing book).

Each project lists all the pertinent information you might require (i.e. quilt size, block size, fabric requirements, fabric cutting sizes). There are lots of tips and how-to's throughout the book, and "personalization" ideas are included for a number of the projects. The projects themselves are absolutely adorable.

Only one project in the book looked like it might be on the difficult side (Hanging BasKats) - the rest looked like they would be doable by most people with a little bit of sewing experience.

The color project pictures are all at the front, separate from the pattern/instruction pages, so it's sometimes necessary to go to the front of the book when working. Each project does clearly state where the colored photo is, but it would have been nice to have the color project photo WITH the project.

I certainly look forward to buying more books from this author and fellow cat lover :).

Rating:
Summary: Quick, easy, whimsical designs!
Review: This book is one of the better ones that I own and will definitely be one of my 'favorites'. The designs have a lot of eye appeal and are refreshing. The patterns are easy to trace and because of its simplicity, very easy to enlarge or decrease in size. Because of this, customizing your project is a breeze. I just received it and have 'shared' it (but haven't let it out of my sight yet. :-) ) with my sister and couple of friends. They too have gotten excited over the fun, whimsical designs. Get the book...you won't be disappointed! Am look'g fwd to purchasing more books by Janet Kime in the near future. Aloha!