When I saw the front cover of ‘Dresden Quilt Blocks Reimagined’ by Candyce Copp Grisham (published by C&T publishing), I knew straight away that I wanted to read it because the front cover is so immediately enticing! As a side note, all of the images included in this review are available through the ‘look inside’ function on Amazon.
Even the ‘Contents’ page is beautiful (and making a contents page stunning is no easy feat!)
The book is split into 9 sections and primarily focuses on machine piecing the dresden blocks
The first section is a quick introduction to the rationale behind the book as well as the origins of the dresden block. The second section explores tools, techniques, choosing fabrics, cutting fabrics and the maths behind fabric requirements for the dresden blocks.
The third section starts to focus on edges (straight edges, pointed edges, curved edges, 3-sided edges) and centres with accompanying photos and diagrams throughout.
There’s even a flow chart to help you visually see the processes and steps needed for the variety of dresden blocks.
The book then offers some more advanced options for the dresden block in the fourth and fifth sections. These include strip-set piecing, symmetric blocks, asymmetric blocks, single fabric wedges, split wedge blocks, sawtooth dresdens, flying geese dresdens, layered blocks, bordered blocks, partial blocks….the dresden world is quite literally your oyster! There is a HUGE variety of styles, techniques and combinations which both inspire and encourage you as the maker.
The sixth section is a gallery showcasing a range of finished dresden pieces from a variery of makers. What I particularly like about this section is how the photos are accompanied by a short text highlighting the method/technique used.
This section also includes a troubleshooting page and a glossary. The final sections provide the template patterns (section 7), a resources page (section 8) and a short text about the author (section 9).
This book is full of rich, vivid colours, sublime fussy cutting and modern dresden blocks, that when combined create a book that is a truly creative and inspiring.