At Home with Patrick Lose

Fans of Patrick Lose's colorfully whimsical designs will delight in these 10 bright and breezy quilt projects. Thorough directions and clear photos mean that quilters of varying skill levels can handle most of them. Note, however, that only three of the designs employ straight piecing techniques; all the rest use appliqué motifs that are fused on and then outlined with a machine satin stitch. But full-size patterns are included for every motif, so with a little practice, even novices should be able to master stitching those curves. And in case you want an exact reproduction of Lose's quilts, he's included a chart of his Marble Mania fabric color names and ordering information; for a less exact rendition, simply follow the general color suggestions with your own fabric choices. --Amy Handy