Quilting a Circle of Nine

Houts and Wright ran workshops in conjunction with publication of their earlier book Circle of Nine, which pieced together the sisters' versatile ideas for laying out nine quilt blocks using what they call "spacers" instead of sashes. Attendees asked many questions about spacers: which will make the blocks look best; what happens with pieced spacers; how do mathematics matter? Wright and Houts here answer those questions while presenting variations on the nine-block-as-spacers theme. The idea, they say, is for all quilters, regardless of level of expertise, to build on the Circle of Nine "design system." The authors re-explain the blocks themselves, followed by explanations and diagrams of spacers, with four full pages of variations by inches and designs. Twelve quilt patterns, designed alternately by each woman, include intricate ones, such as "Garden Grace," that require a second study to tease out the circle of nine. Graphics and instructions for the quilts are maximal; text is minimal (with occasional snags in grammar and punctuation). (Sept.)