Quilt As-You-Go Made Vintage: 51 Blocks, 9 Projects, 3 Joining Methods

The phrase “quilt as you go” has occasionally – and unfortunately – encompassed quilting ON the go. Meaning, hand-pieced and/or hand-quilted projects are made mobile and portable: throw them in a bag and work on them in waiting rooms, on the bus, etc. That is not what is meant by QAYG.Jera Brandvig used 2 joining methods in her earlier book Quilt As-You-Go Made Modern (2014). Essentially, pieced blocks are quilted onto the batting without the backing piece. Later, the entire pieced and joined and quilted blocks plus batting are secured to the backing with secondary quilting lines. For those of us without a longarm, that means there will be bulk. And tucks, and curses, and possibly yet another UFO.Joining Method 3 of Quilt As-You-Go Made Vintage, however, is indubitably the traditional QAYG method. Each block gets quilted on its own as a 3-layered sandwich. Machine quilters without a longarm no longer have to pine and whine. Beginners will find it easier to acquire free-motion quilting skills since only 1 12-inch block is manipulated at a time.~ ~ ~ So What Are The 3 Joining Methods?Method 1 joins blocks to blocks with no sashing strips; the pieced blocks each get quilted to a batting. Then they are all joined together and quilted onto the backing. Method 2 joins blocks and rows using a ½” finished strip which looks like a narrow sashing. This can get a big messy since longer and longer strips have to be used (and sometimes assembled from shorter strips) as the piecing of blocks and rows progresses. Then, as with Method 1, it all gets quilted again onto the backing.Really, only Method 3 is the new one here. All 3 parts of the 12”x12” quilt sandwich block get quilted. It’s easier in many ways, but still requires the joining strips used in Method 2 on BOTH front and back.~ ~ ~ Any special tools?Brandvig does suggest a 60 mm rotary cutter for slicing through stacks of batting. Clover wonder clips are ideal for keeping the layers together. Binder clips also will work. A 14”x14” fully revolving cutting mat is also suggested, but not required. She also says a walking foot is optional, but I have never ever been able to quilt through all 3 layers without one. Some new machines do allow even-feeding without a walking foot, but not mine.And everyone, IMO, should have a 6”x24” ruler, as it allows cutting strips without having to fold the fabric too many times. Brandvig also offers her opinion on her favorite thread, which is a pleasant surprise I won’t spoil unless asked. ;) Add some curved safety pins and needle-punched batting … And you are ready to choose your 1st project out of the 9 projects. Or design your own using the 51 blocks provided.~ ~ ~ 51 Blocks & 9 Projects?Quilt As-You-Go Made Vintage is the most value-laden creativity-producing book of the year by my vote.Not just 9, but 14 quilted projects are included. Some of those are pillow, miniature, or table runner versions of larger quilts. Some are mere gallery shots, but with sufficient information for you to work out on your own.Each of the 12”x12” 51 blocks are a wealth of designs and techniques with vintage appeal. Abundant tips and suggestions broaden the possibilities far beyond what the book’s title promises. These block patterns are just begging to be added to your block library.I found this book so much easier to understand than other QAYG books. If you have avoided free-motion quilting or are still a bit timid, Quilt As-You-Go Made Vintage is ideal for you. And if you are fully experienced, you will have pure fun coming up with your own designs.

I have Jera's first quilt as you go book. I got it before I even attempted quilting! I have followed her blog and own her fabrics, which are every bit as lovely as her work. I like this book even better than the first. Her style is geared more towards vintage and older pieces rather than modern, which is what her first book featured. I love that she showcases 3 ways to use backing for QAYG. I find it to be way more thorough than her first book, which is a help. I also love how she gives block examples so you can construct and personalize your own quilt, along with inspirational pictures of quilts that she has done. That photographs are lovely, not over the top, but you can see each one displayed in your own home. She also included a couple of wall hangings, which are beautiful. I have been waiting for this book to come out since March, and it did not disappoint! My hope is that she continues to publish these inspirational books for quilters, even if you are new to quilting, this book is NOT intimidating like many are. She walks you through it and I highly recommend. Well done, Jera!

This book is mostly about how to sew together 51 different quilt blocks. I like the fabrics and colors used in the quilts. Included are 7 pages devoted to instruction on quilting as-you-go (3 different joining methods). I didn't find this book extremely useful. Please mark if you find my review helpful. Thank you so much!

Well...here is my issue with this book...it is called Quilt as you go...but the only instructions on the methods of how to do this are 6 pages at the end of the book. Three methods with 2 pages instructions for each. I found the instructions for each method lacking. The book has nice quilt patterns...but I did not buy it for patterns. I think more of the contents should have been detailed instructions and diagrams to actually do Quilting as you go. I found better tutorials on you-tube going step by step and explaining the process. I have plenty of quilt books...I wanted an instruction book based on the title.

I love this book! I loved her previous book, and this one expands on her easy quilt-as-you-go techniques. I love all the block patterns she includes as well. I do not enjoy quilting large quilts on my home machine, so Jera Brandvig's books have been instrumental in helping me have the skills and confidence to complete a large quilt completely at home without costly professional quilting. YAY!!! BTW, I love her fabric lines, too ;)

This book is amazing! I learned to quilt from Jera's first book Quilt As You Go Made Modern. She takes all the fear out of quilting and frees your mind to create! She writes in a very clear and understandable way. This new book is not only beautiful (the photography is amazing) but the quilts are stunning! It's an encyclopedia of how to make 51 different quilt blocks! I love how she teaches you how to assemble the quilt traditionally or quilt as you go. It makes it a quilt book for everyone! I can bear to practice free motion quilting on just a stack of fabric sandwiches, so I plan to use this method as a way for me to practice free motion without dealing with the bulk of a large quilt. Now, I will have a beautiful quilt in the end not just a stack of sandwiches! Thanks Jera!!!

Like Jera's first book, QAYG Made Modern, this book is just as inspiring. I was concerned when buying her first book, but after perusing it from cover to cover and being so inspired by the information within, I purchased this one too. I highly recommend both and think they are the most inspiring quilting books I've found. I love how each and every quilt can be different due to the QAYG techniques Jera shares, but you can also make quilt blocks the traditional way and then quilt them as you go before sewing the blocks together, and in that case, any particular quilt could be duplicated too. This book, unlike the first book, only has patterns for 12" finished squares in it, which I prefer. I can't recommend either of her books enough, and I plan to purchase her next book whenever it is published.

This is an excellent book. I have been quilting for many years, but have been finding recently that quilting a large quilt is really difficult, as supporting the weight of the quilt while feeding it through a domestic sewing machine makes my shoulders ache badly. With the method carefully described in this book, I am able to quilt as I go along, making the whole process much kinder on my muscles, and so I am able to continue making quilts, and enjoy the process. The instructions for both the patchwork and the quilting are very clear, and easy to follow. I would definitely recommend this book to both beginner and experienced quilters.

Similar QAYG techniques to last book, which I liked, and nothing really new. Block patterns are traditional ones. Although it says this book is suitable for beginners, it does not include any basic instructions on how to bind a quilt (essential for a beginner I would have thought); cheekily it suggests that if you want binding instructions - refer to another book or buy her first one!! So, no room in the book for a basic instruction, but plenty of pages for specific product placements, hence only 3 stars.

This book is not as clearly laid out as her other book Qayg made modern. To produce a quilt you have to jump about in the book referring to several sections throughout the book. Lots of pretty pictures - useful for ideas but not straightforward if you actually want to make one of the quilts.

What alovely book, lots of information and lovely pictures to inspire any quilter. This style of quilting means you can quilt easily on a domestic sewing machine with ease making it ideal way for a quilting notice.

Love this book,there are some great blocks in here. The descriptions are not super clear, so if your a beginner, you may need to do supplementary research. The block designs are great and really capture the vintage feel. Only lost a star because some of the 'how to information' is missing.