Review from The Quilter magazine

Felted wool in combination with reproduction cotton fabrics can result in projects that have the appearance of vintage folk art! Authors Leonie Bateman and Deirdre Bond-Abel, owners of The Quilted Crow in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, love to mix traditional piecing with wool felt applique for depth and texture. Eleven traditional projects, such as quilts, table runners, pillows and other accessories, are included together with all the basic wool applique techniques required to make them. With wool felt, there are no edges to turn under and the wool doesn't fray. The techniques are easy to learn and yield projects that are fun, functional, and sure to be conversation pieces!

---

Review from Popular Patchwork magazine

The patterns focus on applique designs in cotton and wool in a modern, folk art, country charm style. If you've never used wool for applique, it can be surprisingly forgiving. One of the benefits of appliqueing with felted wool is that the edges won't fray so you needn't turn them under. The book itself is set out into an introduction, a section explaining how to applique with wool, a description of how to machine piece and finish your quilt, and then eleven projects, plus a link to a bonus project. The projects combine piecing and applique across a variety of different sized projects, but the bold applique shapes are what makes each one a standout design. The block work incorporates four patch, nine patch, half-square triangle units, flying geese, bear paws, checkerboard and star techniques. The applique designs keep the bird and flower motifs faithful to the country cottage, folk art style, but a variety of techniques, including reverse applique, are used to great effect. This book is a must for lovers of this style.

---

From an interview with the authors by Patti Ives in The Applique Society newsletter

The beauty of wool applique is that you can add depth and texture to your quilts and other projects. Yet, wool is relatively easy to work with as there are no edges to turn under and felted wool doesn't fray. Their instructions cover everything you need to know to get off to a good start on one of the 11 projects included in the book. The discussion on wool is informative. The instructions on how to prepare the wool for applique, via felting, are very easy to understand and do. They offer a detailed list of tools you will need in addition to the tools and supplies you already have on hand. Other subjects covered in the techniques section include making a master pattern, preparing the background for applique, making the appliques and appliqueing wool to the background. All appliques are secured using the blanket stitch, and diagrams of this stitch and a few others they recommend are included. The lesson on creating a dogtooth or scalloped border is very easy to understand along with the accompanying photographs. Basic machine piecing steps are also covered in the instructional part of this book. All patterns are included at 100% so you will not need to enlarge the patterns to use them. You will soon find yourself stitching quilts, table runners, pillows, and more.

---

Review from Quiltmania magazine

We love the classic style revisited in the eleven projects, mixing applique and piecing in subtle and elegant colors, that these two Tasmanian artists offer here. They have a shop, the Quilted Crow, in a Hobart church and they create many lovely patterns.

---

Review from Fabrications magazine

What goes around comes around, and the saying is true in the case of this book. Those of you who attended the shows in 2011 will remember that my workshop project was a block for a cushion using re-cycled woollen jumpers. In this elegant book there is a combination of the use of felted wool and traditional piecing techniques using cotton. The combination of the two mediums gives an antique look and depth to the finished article. Ironically, I am working on a project for felted wool so I found someone else's ideas on the use of recycled fabric both interesting and helpfuL It's never too late to learn a new skill even if the UFO's are gathering!

---

Review from Barbara Rhoades

I never thought of country quilts as being appliqued but that is what this book is showing. Every project has applique. The suggested colors of the fabrics are brown, muted reds, blues and greens and black.

Eleven projects are provided with a paragraph about it and a color photo. Finished size, material and cutting lists are found next. Plenty of graphics provide you a view helping hand. No specific quilting instructions are given but a general suggestion is provided.

The last page has information about the authors and their website. If you are a fan of applique, this might be a book for you.

---

Review from Needle Pulling Thread, Festive 2012

How can something so elegant be so easy? Experience the joys of using wool applique to add depth and texture to your quilts and other projects. There are no edges to turn under and wool doesn't fray! Even beginners can create these cozy, antique looking quilts.
Choose from 11 traditional projects that combine reproduction fabrics with felted-wool applique designs.
Find all the basic techniques in the wool-applique instructions.
Stitch conversation-piece quilts, table runners, pillows, and more.

---