East-Meets-West Quilts

October 16, 2017
Belyea invites quilters “to create something new—something that is totally yours” in this neat book. Her designs are based on the Hachi Quilt Manifesto, five rules that end with, naturally, “Break any rule you like.” Her support for creative freedom makes sense in light of her background as an improv quilter who pieces together random scraps of fabric in novel ways. For Belyea, an American and longtime admirer of Japanese culture, that means using her vintage Japanese yukata cottons. Each hand-dyed piece bursts with colors and patterns. Belyea adds an unexpected element to each quilt—a remnant of bright red hiding in a corner, L-shaped forms of gold cloth connecting blocks with wilder patterns. The body of the book lays out 14 projects calibrated for beginners as well as experts. The quilts’ backs prove as interesting as the fronts, and Belyea’s stitching designs are innovative, too. With fresh designs and useful directions, Belyea’s book is both practical and aspirational.

Starred review from December 1, 2017
Her life story alone is impressive. At 58, Belyea reinvented herself, giving up the agency she founded and turning to a unique form of Japanese quilt-making and its fabrics. For those preferring the bold and the bright, these 13 hachi quilts, using yukata cottons, are just the thing. Three of the five hachi laws are strictly mechanical, dealing with measurements; the othersadd an unexpected visitor to spark quilt compositions, and break any rule you like bring delight and vision into otherwise routine fabric sandwiches. The unexpected visitor could be two solid yellow blocks (the Good Fortune piece) or a scarlet bar ( Lucky Owl ). Each project includes detailed descriptions of the materials, color photographs of completed sections, front and back, and unique directions (e.g., for ties and stitching). Readers will be awestruck by the brilliant designs and the accompanying education, including sidebars on famous stitcher Ayako Miyawaki, yukata cottons, and more. And novice quilters, no worries! A separate section goes through tools, processes, and the cutting dance, a precision step to ensure blocks are exactly 8.5 inches square. Amazing artworks for busy hands.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)