For the Love of Scraps and the Stories They Tell
If you’ve ever looked at a pile of fabric scraps and felt a spark of inspiration (or guilt!), Use & Ornament is the book that will change the way you see them forever. Nicholas Ball, a long-time favourite of mine, brings his signature warmth, curiosity, and creative freedom to this beautifully crafted book about improv quilting, and the deeper why behind the work we do with our hands.

More Than a How-To
This isn’t your typical instruction manual. You won’t find endless step-by-step diagrams or rigid patterns. Instead, Nicholas invites us into his artistic world with gentle honesty and thoughtful storytelling. Through personal essays, rich photography, and visually striking quilt work, Use & Ornament encourages us to embrace imperfection, listen to our instincts, and trust the creative process.

Freedom in Fabric
What I love most is how the book celebrates letting go. Throw away your patterns and let your imagination lead. Nicholas’s approach is playful, intuitive, and deeply satisfying, perfect for quilters who want to move beyond traditional rules and rediscover the joy in sewing. His techniques blend texture, shape, and colour in a way that’s both accessible and inspiring, with just the right balance of guidance and creative freedom.

The Art and Heart of Making
This book is a real step forward in understanding the mind of an improv patchwork artist. It’s not just about what we make, but why we make it. Nicholas explores the tension, and harmony, between usefulness and ornamentation. His quilts are art pieces, and yet they feel familiar, relatable, and deeply human. I found myself returning to certain pages again and again, absorbing both the message and the mood.

Tactile, Thoughtful, and Beautifully Produced
Can we talk about the design? The cover alone is a joy to touch, textured, colourful, and full of promise. And throughout the book, the photography is breathtaking. You can see the threads, the seams, the very soul of each piece. It’s not only Nicholas’s work on display here either, he graciously shares space with other talented makers, and it’s refreshing to see a patchwork book that feels like a conversation, not a lecture.

A Must-Read for the Creative Soul
Whether you’re an experienced quilter, a curious dabbler, or just someone who wants to connect more deeply with your creative self, Use & Ornament offers something truly special. It’s a book you’ll want to keep both by your bedside and at your cutting table, thoughtful, joyful, and endlessly inspiring.

 

Highly recommended. A true celebration of sewing with soul.