Review   Lines...In Pleasant Places - April 29, 2010
"Imagine my delight yesterday when, after a morning spent shopping for groceries, I returned home to find Jane Brocket's newest book, The Gentle Art of Quiltmaking in a box on my back porch. Thank you, Mr. UPS-Man and Amazon! Like The Gentle Art of Domesticity, this book is filled with gorgeous pictures and lots of encouraging words and inspirational ideas (is that redundant?) I took the afternoon off from my normal wifely/mommy work to read it, but I think I won't be able to put any creative urges into action until summer comes. I have friends who quilt beautiful works of art, and while I admire their work I know it's beyond my capabilities and my time and money limits to do what they do. But this book makes me hope that I can make quilts for my family that we will use and enjoy."

Review By: Christina Lane,    - May 7, 2010
"Beautiful photographs and beautiful quilts.  This is a great book for the hesitant quilter, for someone that's wanted to try, but been too afraid to start.  Brocket makes you feel at ease with just cutting into your fabric and going for it.  The directions are well laid out, with "bullet points" and diagrams.  She talks about her inspirations for the quilt design and fabric choices.  There are just enough directions for showing you how to make the quilt, without having it be overwhelming,  I recommend this to beginners and pros alike, if for no other reason than to be inspired by the beauty of the book itself."

Review   Red Pepper Quilts - May 7, 2010
"I never tire of browsing through books and magazines for inspiration, and both these publications have been close companions this week: The Gentle Art of Quiltmaking by Jane Brocket   is a book in the spirit of Kaffe Fassett, filled with colorful inspiration; where to find it and how to use it.  It is a guide for making personal quilts, simple in design and technique using stunningly beautiful fabrics.  Most quilts pictured use an abundance of Westminster, Heather Bailey, Amy Butler, and Denyse Schmidt fabrics. No wonder I love this book! The cover of the UK edition is lightly textured, the yellow cuff removable, and features the Hydrangea Quilt.  Oh! So beautiful. I regularly stop by Jane's blog (Yarnstorm) for a dose of tranquility and color.  It is obvious that Jane's love of flowers has influenced her use of fabric and quilt design.  A gentle nudge by Amy from Mrs Schmenkman was all the encouragement I needed to order my own copy of the Quilt edition of Selvedge magazine (a UK publication). Lovely images (I even find myself trawling through the advertisements) and craftiness, but indeed rather pricey.  Way pricey.  Like Amy, if you're into quilts and want to check out the Selvedge magazine this is definitely the one issue of 2010 to splurge on.  I have devoured it. Have you got a new favorite book for quilty inspiration? "

Review   Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting - July 1, 2010
“Jane Brocket developed her own worry and stress-free methods for making quilts with big effect. She says making lovely quilts is not difficult, and with that in mind, she gives you her tips for color, prints, pattern, and even inspiration. With basic quilting skills, you can make wonderful quilts inspired by the beauty around you. Stunning scenic photos will leave you dreaming of your next quilt.”

Review   Easy Living - April 1, 2010
"Jane Brocket has a fun and informal tone that puts you at ease and inspires you to get creative. This book is wonderful for proficient sewers who might nonetheless be a little daunted by the prospect of quilting."

Review   American Quilt Retailer - September 1, 2010
“Quilters must learn to be gentle with themselves. First of all - The Gentle Art of Quiltmaking by Jane Brocket is a lovely, gentle book! The photography is clean and up-to-date. The book layout is straightforward and uncluttered. The projects are simply beautiful because they are simple and because the fabrics are beautiful. However, the works in Jane's introduction are to me, almost what was most striking about this book. Jane explains how she always thought that she was not capable of making a quilt. She had a fear of doing things “wrong” or the “incorrect way.” The “rules” and “regulations” sounded too difficult. Oh my goodness, is this really what young women think? Thankfully, Jane had a friend who set her straight, and also, thankfully Jane has written this inspiring book. I love it, and anyone who wants to, or already loves to make quilts will love it too!”

Review   Maevy's Corner Blog - August 20, 2010
"...Recently while reading Jane Brocket's latest book The Gentle Art of Quiltmaking, I realised that this quilt did not have to be so complicated. I liked the way Jane works from instinct rather than by following rules, and I thought why can't I do something like that too? So, I decided to digress from the pattern, although it really did look amazing, and go with a simple black inner border. This was much more within my reach, and at least it made me finish the quilt top..."

Review   Stitched in Color Blog - August 14, 2010
"Jane shares her quilting process from inspiration to completion in detail, from color selection to borders to binding, on many beautiful quilts.  Her English cottage style is not my own, but I feel I learned a lot about color and scale."

Review   The Sometimes Crafter Blog - May 7, 2010
"I was very excited to see this title on the new release list last month. I love Jane Brocket's book The Gentle Art of Domesticity. One of the things I loved best about that book was it's photography, and this book does not disappoint on that front. It's one of those books that you just want to open and look at for hours, just because it's beautiful. But not only that, it's inspiring. When I first sit down to read a book I always start with the introduction. This is where you get an introduction as to why the book was written, and you get to really know the author's voice. I have to say, as I read the introduction for this book, I knew that it was not only a book for me, but for many of you, too. In her intro she says this about quilting "This is a book about quilt inspiration: where to find it and how to use it. It is for anyone who has ever wanted to make stunning, imaginative quilts with the minimum of fuss, no matter how basic your sewing skills or how limited you are by time and space." I think that pretty much encompasses us all, in one form or another. I am sure there are many times you look at a quilt and think "Oh, that's so beautiful. But it looks too hard." or ".I couldn't choose fabric like that." But you can, and I think that's what this book is really about. Knowing that you can create beautiful quilts by looking around you for inspiration and using the knowledge you have. Jane herself talks about how intimidated she was about making quilts, and one day her friend said to her "Oh, for goodness' sake, Jane, all you have to do is cut up some fabric and sew it together." How true is that! Brocket says it best: "I hope to reassure tentative quilters (always remembering that I once was one) that quilting is easy and incredibly enjoyable, that anyone can do it in an ordinary home environment and without a dedicated room or table or design board, and that you don't need hundreds of expensive fabrics." I wish I could share the whole of the introduction of this book with you, because if I could, I know you would all be out buying a copy for yourself this very minute. This book is different from many out there, in that it doesn't take up half the book explaining the basic techniques that most of us know, instead the book is filled with information about choosing fabrics and quantities needed, how to best cut your fabric for backings and borders, information on batting and quilting. But it is done in such a different way, so as not to intimidate, but instead help you to see what an easy craft quilting can really be. There are 15 beautiful quilt projects, and everyone of them has wonderfully written forwards to each quilt with information on her design and fabric selections. The Instructions are full of inspirational photos that showcase the quilt in use, as well as giving detailed views. Diagrams and directions are straight to the point and easy to follow without being overwhelming. There are notes and variations on themes. At the end of the book you have a "Quilt Gallery" section showing the whole of the quilt (love this!) as well as a nicely done list of her favorite inspirational books, both quilting and non-quilting. And of course so much more. I can not in words express how much you need this book, whether you are new to quilting or a pro. If I were to write a book, this is exactly how I would want mine to be. This is a book for your shelves. You will be inspired again and again, not just by the quilts and photography, but by the inspirational words and helpful hints."

Review   Year Of Handmade Blog - August 22, 2010
"My “Tahitian Shawl” quilt top for my Mum’s birthday, made using the Russian Shawl quilt pattern in Jane Brocket’s “The Gentle Art of Quiltmaking”. I really can’t say enough just how much I LOVE this book (HERE) and I hope to try and make just about every quilt in it =0) This throw quilt is much larger than I expected…ha ha, don’t know why I never grasp the dimensions in my mind correctly! The pattern instructions were very clear and easy to follow. The first few “rounds” I whipped up the first day and then I completed a round here and there as I had time. Really though, it came together very quickly! Martha Nelgley large floral fabrics (purchased from Alewives HERE) were my primary inspiration for this quilt and a touch of Kaffe Fassett and Jennifer Pagnelli are used in the small borders. This is my first “girly” quilt I have made and it was so fun working with the pink and purples (as per my Mum’s request). Now to get some backing fabric…it takes a whopping 4 1/2 yards! This may take a while as I used all of my fun money to order a super cute (and funky!) pair of Kate Spade eye glasses… I so look forward to being able to see clearly!"

Review   62 Cherry Blog - September 15, 2010
"Jane Brocket has a relatively new book called, "The Gentle Art of Quilt Making" and it is every bit as divine as the first book I ever bought of hers "The Gentle Art of Domesticity". Jane's blog Yarnstorm has been a regular read for me for years now. There are 15 different quilt projects in the book and with each one Jane tells a little story about the fabrics, the process and a why she was inspired to make it. My favourite in the book would have to be the Florals.  I am not girly AT ALL but there is something about this quilt that speaks to the "girly girl" deep down inside!!!! "

Review   Quilter's Home - December 1, 2010
“Pick us up off the floor 'cuz we're in love! This book by British quilter, author and blogger Jan Brocket offers pretty and simple quilts, many made with Kaffe and other Westminister/FreeSpirit fabrics, and presents them through gorgeous photography and tons of excellent design instruction. But the best part - besides the quilts, of course - is the text itself. Jane is a wonderful writer, and she deeply explores with us each quilt's genesis: what inspired her, how she approached the designs and what challenges she found along the way. It's a delightful, intelligent look into the process most of us go through when we're playing with our fabric. As a hardcover book, it's perfect for leaving on your coffee table while you decide what luscious project you want to start first. (Plus you'll impress the heck out of your minigroup.) Go get it. Worth every dime.”