The author takes readers through the process of choosing a good image and how to trace and adapt this for making an appliqued portrait of people and animals. Various examples of portrayals that will work and won't work teach you how to do it yourself and what to consider when trying to get a result you're happy with - e.g., how putting bags under someone's eyes make them look haggard.
What I particularly like are that the photographs used for the appliques are the kind of photos that I could take, not grand studio portraits or shots you think only a professional photographer could take. They give you ideas and show you how to turn the photo into an applique portrait.
From a broad approach of a face the book then zooms in on the features of a human face - the eyes, ears, nose and mouth - and shows you different ways to approach these. One of the best parts of this book is the step-by-step sequences, illustrated with colour photos, of how to stitch an eye and mouth. While the written instructions are extremely clear, having the photos just sped up my understanding of the process and clarified that what I thought should be done was correct.
There're plenty of tips on deciding what fabrics to use - and Andy Warhol-type portraits using "unrealistic" colours that'll broaden what you thought could possibly work.
This book is sprinkled with photos of glorious quilts to inspire and admire; paging through it, even if you're not one for intricate reverse applique, is time very well spent. One word of warning: I wouldn't show this book to any friend who's been trying to get you to make them a quilt as they may just start giving you photographs of them and their family as a not-very-subtle hint!
Focus on Features is published by C&T Publishing. ISBN 1-71230-05303
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