An accomplished teacher, dyer and quilter, Linda Johansen, inspired by an object made by quilt artist, Nancy Crowe, developed a method of crafting fabric bowls.  That's right, fabric bowls.  What fun!  Using canvas or a product called Timtex, she creates a "sandwich" along with fusible web and fabric.  This becomes the form for embellishment.

Linda begins the book with a comprehensive list of tools and materials needed for the projects.  The list is detailed down to the best needles to use for various materials and also includes suggestions for using common objects that most of us have in our homes.

A simple and showy square bowl is suggested as the first project. The step-by-step instructions, with helpful photos, are clear and concise.  The second project, a round bowl, is nearly instant gratification. This project will hone your satin stitch and machine quilting skills.  Free-form curves give added dimension and excitement.  The third project, a hexagon bowl, has more involved cutting requirements and is, amazingly, reversible.  Next, the triangle bowl offers many opportunities for creativity.  The shape of the darts can be changed and sewn on the inside or outside.  Lastly, the octagonal bowl, although the most complicated, is an elegant shape.

Linda encourages the reader to "play" with the shapes and colors, and the photographs of examples are quite attractive.  Why bother one might ask; because the sculptural forms can become beautiful display items.  They can also be put to any practical use for which you would reach for a basket.  There are many opportunities to imprint one’s own techniques and ideas on the object.  In addition to fabric and color choices, she suggests seasonal or topical prints.  I'm thinking beading, stamping, photo transfer, dyeing, and painting; the possibilities are endless if you envision the bowl as a literal canvas upon which you work.  Also, some experimentation could utilize these techniques to create other shapes.

Review by Diana Norris