Dancing Quilts from Straight Pieces

Book excerpt: Two left feet? No problem with this smooth technique. Partner up odd-shaped pieces to create a rhythm all your own. The combination of two simple geometric shapes produces 'dancer' segments, which align beautifully into lively quilt designs. Fabric contrast, placement of the piece on the background, tilt, and placement of the segment in the quilt provide endless variations on more than 10 projects. Several projects contain additional photographs to illustrate these variations. Get carried away with Debbie's spirited approach to quiltmaking in projects such as Sash Dance, Rock & Roll, and Electric Slide. Creating the segments in dancing quilts is fun, inventive, and unpredictable, making each quilt uniquely yours. Decorative stitches and threads can be used to energize the small pieces in the quilts. The nature of the technique allows you to work on small segments at one time rather than the whole quilt, giving you more freedom to experiment with these stitches. Detailed instructions and illustrations give you the confidence to step out on your own and create an original movement in fabric.