Published 2006

 

This book is about using quilt patterns to make polymer clay millefiori canes. It starts of with some basic information about polymer clay and tools. There is a chapter about colour and colour schemes to help you plan your polymer clay quilt block patterns.

There is a very helpful chapter on the elements of caning. It talks about the basic shapes you would use to build up a cane and how to form them, reducing canes and so important elements to consider when building canes.

There are 9 different quilt patterns detailed in the book with instructions about how to prepare the clay, how to assemble the cane and some ideas for variation. They start of with very easy canes that anyone could assemble and move on to some much more complex canes. They do use extruders to create regular diamond and triangle starting blocks.

There is a section about other types of cane that might represent fabrics with brief instructions to make a floral cane and a linoleum cane. There is a section on using the canes with some brief instructions on decorating a sewing kit. At the back there is a chapter about making the miniature textile shop shown on the back cover and some inspirational images from a range of different polymer artists.

I would say this is quite a niche book – if you are interested in making quilt pattern canes you will love it! You will pick up some interesting tips and ideas for making canes in general even if you don’t want to make quilt patterns but it isn’t a book for someone who doesn’t like to make canes.

Reviewed by Cara Jane Hayman