Quilt for a year

If you've got a favourite object, subject or hobby, there'll be someone who prints a calendar to tempt you. Quilting is no exception. But then again, it's the fun of turning over the page to a new month and a new image that makes a beautiful calendar irresistible. Of waiting for you decided was your favourite image when you first opened up the calendar to come up.

Now take a quilt calendar that's also a pattern book and you've got a true recipe for tremendous fun. Not only can you look at the pictures of the quilts, but you can make your own version too. Every month!

The American Patchwork & Quilting Year 2000 Calendar from the publishers of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine shows twelve quilts in situ i.e. on a table, chair or hanging from a door. The projects range from a snowman wall hanging in January to a prairie medallion table accessory in December, passing through a flower wall hanging in April and sailing boats in August.

The instructions accompanying this calendar are in a neat, colour booklet that's stapled together. The images of the quilts in the calendar are repeated so that the booklet stands on its own. The clear instructions are accompanied by assembly diagrams, design tips, a list of materials needed, cutting and assembly tips as well as templates where needed. The quilts use various techniques, so there's something for everyone.

C&T Publishing's 16-month 2000 Calendar Quilts shows the quilts flat, like an art photograph. The advantage of this is that you get a very clear view of the quilt and the quilting, but it's less homely that the Homes & Gardens calendar.

Most of the quilts featured are by Alex Anderson; all are made with brilliant colour and contemporary fabrics. The patterns accompanying the calendar is printed in black only, on folded sheets of paper the same size as the calendar. This means you can separate out the instructions for one quilt (and its templates) as you do it. Once again there are clear instructions including fabric requirements, tips, assembly diagrams etc.

So make a gift of creativity this Christmas and give someone a year-long present, perhaps with the fabric to start on the first project on Christmas day itself?

Both calendars are distributed by C&T Publishing.

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