Kaffe Fassett Quilts Shots and Stripes

Fassett (Dreaming in Color) and Lucy, owner of Glorious Color and Fassett's frequent collaborator, have birthed a book of startling beauty. Beyond producing drooling glances, their book journeys determinedly yet joyfully through 24 projects, well conceived and with clear instructions. Lucy's designs exploit Fassett's famous fabrics -- not his signature florals but his iridescent, solid-colored cottons ("shots") and his Indian-woven cotton stripes. Blocked for an idea, Fassett writes, he would stare at all his stripes "until something occurred to me." What occurred ranges from small (tote, throw, table runner) to large (82" x 85" pieces) and from easy (for African Stripe, Lucy worked with only two fabrics) to complicated (Rosita Zigzag). Fassett's florals flirt from the backsides of quilts with subdued tops, like Korean Log Cabin. Debbie Patterson photographed the projects in smashing settings (Chimney Sweep rests on a stoop, grey paint revealed through red), complemented by snapshots from Fassett's home town of Hastings, England. Templates and basic techniques for handling shots and stripes are included. Fassett's writing is cheerfully intimate; Lucy's design ideas, colorfully respectful. 100 color illustrations. (Mar.)