A practical and inspirational guide to creating beautiful bespoke quilts without the constraints of strict rules or patterns.

In Free-Form Quilts and Patchwork, internationally renowned Jessie Cutts of Cutts & Sons shows quilting doesn’t need to be daunting or require meticulous measurements or lots of planning. Instead, you can design and make up your work as you go along, being playful with colour and allowing mistakes to take your projects in new creative directions. In clear and engaging text accompanied by striking photography of the artist’s own work, Jessie guides readers through:

• Exercises to help practise improvisation, encouraging a looser approach to patchwork without a specific project in mind.

• Projects that introduce methodology while allowing space to create unique compositions. These include hand stitching a potholder or a mini quilt; experimenting with tonal stripes; creating playful blocks and loose checkboards.

• Information on materials and techniques with tips on collecting fabrics, creating palettes, cutting with confidence, machine piecing, hand stitching, improvising guidelines, patchwork guidelines and how to finish and display quilts.

With an emphasis on letting go of conventions and perfectionism, and instead allowing serendipity to be part of the enjoyable process of creating compositions in fabric, this book is ideal for anyone who feels intimidated by precise patterns and wants to create personal and unique quilts with guidance on how to get there.