A whole African landscape worked in wool: giraffes, elephants, zebras, lions, hippos, and birds gathered among baobab trees and tall grasses, with a road winding through it all on a deep midnight-blue ground. Folk-Tails grew out of Sue Spargo's childhood memories of Africa, and it shows in the bright, vibrant color and the dense, textural stitching that fills every inch.

The quilt is built from thirty animal blocks, then assembled into one busy, storytelling scene that finishes at 37-1/2 by 43-1/2 inches. Sue's signature mix is all here: layered hand-dyed wool, velvet, and textural fabrics for dimension, with creative embroidery worked over the top. Working a block at a time keeps a richly detailed quilt approachable.

Throughout the book, African folk-tale short stories sit alongside the patterns, so there is something to read as well as stitch. The book also includes a bonus pattern for the Folk-tails Workbox, which dresses up a project box with an elephant block from the quilt.

What the Book Includes

This listing is for the printed pattern book only, not a kit and not a finished quilt.

• 119 full-color pages, softcover
• Step-by-step instructions with full-color blocks and clear diagrams
• African folk-tale short stories woven through the book
• Patterns for the Folk-tails quilt (thirty animal blocks, finishes 37-1/2 by 43-1/2 inches) plus a bonus Folk-tails Workbox
• Techniques: wool appliqué, layering of velvet and textural fabrics, and hand embroidery
• Embroidery stitch instructions are referenced from Sue's Creative Stitching (sold separately), not reprinted in this book
• Fabric, wool, thread, batting, and backing are not included

What You'll Need

Folk-Tails layers hand-dyed wool, velvet, and textural cottons over an appliqué background, with embroidery on top for the animals, plants, and texture. Plan for those fabrics plus a range of embroidery threads; the book lists the full materials.

Like all of Sue Spargo's designs, this book names the decorative stitches it uses and cites the page number in her Creative Stitching reference instead of teaching the stitches here. Creative Stitching (sold separately) is the stitch dictionary behind her entire line, so it is the companion to keep beside this project.

Perfect For

• Stitchers who love hand appliqué and embroidery and want a bold, story-filled showpiece
• Wool appliqué fans drawn to animals, color, and a touch of Africa
• Makers who like a block-at-a-time project they can work one animal at a time
• Anyone who wants a matching smaller make from the bonus Folk-tails Workbox

Why You'll Love This Book

Folk-Tails is as much a story as a quilt. Thirty animal blocks, each with its own character, come together into one African landscape, and the folk-tale stories scattered through the book make the stitching feel like a journey rather than a checklist.

The depth is the draw. Layered wool and velvet sit at different heights, creative embroidery adds texture you can feel, and Sue's hand-dyed palette keeps a busy, crowded scene reading as one. The bonus Folk-tails Workbox is an easy way to sample the techniques or carry a piece of the quilt onto a project box.

Product Details

• Brand: Sue Spargo Folk Art Quilts
• Item #: UPC 898807000770
• Author: Sue Spargo
• Category: Quilt Pattern Book
• Skill Level: Advanced beginner and up (approachable techniques; a large, detailed project)
• Technique: Wool appliqué, layering of velvet and textural fabrics, and hand embroidery
• Patterns Included: Folk-tails Quilt (thirty animal blocks), plus bonus Folk-tails Workbox
• Finished Quilt Size: 37-1/2 in x 43-1/2 in
• Pages: 119, full color
• Format: Softcover
• Book Size: 8.5 in x 11 in
• Made in the United States