Scrap Republic is a book that has me excited about playing with colours* and rediscovering my fabric stash.  I spotted in on a friend's book shelf and have to admit that I have been looking after it for far too long.

In a market where books play one-up-manship, boasting huge number of projects, this book quietly has 8, and focuses instead on the techniques.  The book focuses on gaining confidence in using colour.  Each of the 8 projects is based on using a rainbow spectrum of colours, in order, with different effects.  The projects had me searching through my fabric drawers for a little bit of every colour.  If you haven't a collection of fabrics to choose from each project has a "solace for the scrapless" option.  It would also be great to team up with a friend to swap fabrics to put together a range of different prints.


Of course a book review is not complete without trying out a project.  I chose Beeline, which uses long strips of colour to make a mini quilt, or in this case a giant floor cushion.  I like the way each project can be considered a warm up exercise without always committing to a full bed size quilt.

Format 8 projects starting with short and simple works and gradually becoming larger and complex as the book progresses.  The book begins with a discussion of how to use and sort colour before launching into the projects.

Who would I recommend it to?  This book is best suited to someone who already has a few fabrics to call upon and is looking to use them in a way that makes them sing.  If you prefer muted colours and restricted palette, perhaps try one or two projects, but this book is probably not for you.

Would I buy it? While I won't be buying my own copy, this book is fantastic for quilter who love colour and want to branch out a little.  It would be a great addition to a quilting guild library too.


*excuse me while I insist on using NZ spelling, colour, grey, etc.  The rest of the spelling errors are my very own.