Quilts in Burano
Quilts in Burano
Kaffe Fassett’s Quilts in Burano has a collection of 19 great projects exquisitely photographed on location in Burano, a tiny island in Italy’s Venetian archipelago.
In this 22nd instalment of Kaffe Fassett’s ever-popular series of patchwork and quilting books, the quilts have been photographed on location in Burano, a tiny island in Italy’s Venetian archipelago, famous for its lace-making but also for its brilliantly painted houses in myriad jewel colours.
The colourful house walls, sometimes distressed and occasionally decorated with murals, form the backdrop along with the canals, bridges, boats of this special Venetian Island, to another wonderful selection of new quilt designs from Kaffe and the designers and makers of the Kaffe Fassett Studio.
The collection of 19 quilts features both new fabric designs from the Kaffe Collective and some of the Classics. Bali Brocade, for example, makes a fantastic background to Kaffe’s sumptuous Shimmer Star quilt (one for the more experienced quilters), with its ripples of pattern in contrasting prints. His two versions of the very simple quilt, suitable for first-timers, come in two very different colourways. Hot Steps, is a riot of colour – “a technicolour dream of a quilt” according to Kaffe – whereas by contrast its sister quilt, Cool Steps in dusty blues, greens and greys offers a delightfully subtle blend of tones. Liza Prior Lucy’s rich and dark Turkish Coffee quilt, with its hint of Eastern promise, fussy cuts Kaffe’s new Turkish Delight fabric to brilliant effect.
The gallery of location shots of quilts, exquisitely photographed by Debbie Patterson, is followed by the flat shots, with detailed instructions and diagrams, plus templates were used. A practical know-how section covers all the information needed by less experienced quilters.
Paperback - 144 pages - ©2020
Kaffe Fassett has led an extraordinary life and is a world-renowned textile artist. Born in 1937, he spent much of his youth in Big Sur, California, where his parents bought a cabin from Orson Welles and transformed it into the world-famous Nepenthe restaurant, a gathering place for artists and bohemians. After attending a boarding school run by the disciples of Krishnamurti, an Indian guru, he studied painting at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, then traveled to England, where he made his home. After an inspiring trip to Inverness, Scotland, Fassett began designing knitwear for Bill Gibb, and then the Missonis, Vogue magazine, and private clients like Lauren Bacall and Barbra Streisand, and, in the process, revolutionized the handknitting world with his explosive use of color. Further explorations led him to needlepoint, mosaics, rugmaking, tapestries, yarn and fabric design, costume and set design, and quilting. Fassett continues to produce new work and travels worldwide to teach and lecture and has recently collaborated with Coach New York. Please visit our profile on Kaffe to learn more!