Quilting Books

This book is one of the best quilting handbooks that I have read. Tips for Quilters gives hints from many experienced quilters rather than just one author, like most other quilting guides. I felt like I had an entire quilting group right there with me to give helpful suggestions for my quilting questions. Whether your an experienced quilter or a beginner, this book will help you better your quilting techniques.

I find this book to be so much fun and so useful. I just started quilting in the last year, and it is great to read these tips from all over the country...I love this book!

I will never look at a piece of fabric in the same way after reading Carolyn Dahl's beautifully written and generously illustrated book on fabric design. The subtitle, 'Color on Fabric and Life' hints that there is much more here than the how-to of dyeing, painting and patterning fabrics. Fabric artists aren't the only ones who will be entertained and inspired as Dahl awakens memories of childhood coloring books, leaf prints, iron-on designs and the tie-dyed T-shirts most of us experienced at sometime in our lives. Connoisseurs of the decorative arts and those who are merely curious about the fabrics they wear and use in everyday life will find much to interest them. Early textile dyers, Dahl tells us, signed oaths that they would not reveal any of the process. Fortunately, Dahl openly shares the secrets she has gleaned in arts schools from New York to Florence, Italy, and in her own studios from Berkeley to Houston. She hands out easy to follow directions on techniques that range from simple sponge printing to the very exacting wax resist process of batiking. For the serious fabric artist, her book is the next best thing to having a master artist and craftsman with them in the studio as she chats and reminisces while sharing the things she has learned in easy to follow, step-by-step instructions. For example, in a chapter on Compression Dyeing, Dahl compares the pulling and tugging of the fabric to the way "great handfuls of hair disappeared into skinny little whips" when her mother braided her hair. Such fresh imagery and lyrical expression set a new standard for "how-to" books. "Wherever you go...you are part of someone's visual landscaping...Why not make it beautiful," Dahl quotes from one of her lectures. With her book in hand, it is hard to resist such a challenge.

This is the most complete guide I have found on coloring & decorating all types of fabric. It is in full-color & packed with many detailed examples. The book starts out with a general history & information on fabrics.

Step-by-step instructions then take you though a wide variety of techniques, including painting, dyeing, printing and stamping. Choice of fabric, preparation and colorant recipes precede the various techniques.

There are lots of fresh ideas that I have not seen in other books like coloring a black & white pattern and etching fabric. Many others include compression dyeing, heat transfer, wax patterning, silk painting & nature printing.

I found the work in this book to be very creative and a great source of ideas and inspiration. I especially enjoyed those that use patterns from nature. The extensive resource list is a great bonus.

After reading many books on silk painting, I came upon 'Tranforming Fabric' and knew immediately this was the book I had been searching for. In fact, I had to call the author and express my appreciation for her writing style and the techniques she offers to transform fabrics. Looking at fabric took on a new meaning for me - I was eager to start the process of transforming fabric. The results have been more pleasing than I had expected. I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys working with fabric - sewers, quilters etc. The author's experiences add to the pleasure of taking a piece of fabric and adding your personal touch without being an artist. To the author - thanks and I'm waiting for # 2! To the publisher - thank you - find more authors like Carolyn.

Carolyn Dahl's "Transforming Fabric" is a clearly superior reference volume, and one which reflects the author's dedication to artistry in every aspect of its pages. Most fundamentally, "Transforming Fabric" is itself a work of art, which even a fabric-neophyte will enjoy browsing through to gaze at the richly colorful photographs and illustrations. For anyone interested in the fabric arts, this book is a must-buy!

As someone who designs her won clothes and loves making a variety of textile art I love this book as well as Textile Dyeing: The Step-By-Step Guide. Simply because each book shows that one need not rely on plain fabric, but with some simple know how you can transform the simplest piece of cloth into a work of art. I especially like taking rubber stamps and with a simple clothes iron, and some velvet, making beautiful material rich with images of nature.

WedgeWorks II is marvelous in that it teaches a method to make beautiful Mariner's Compass quilts. The writing style is very easy to understand and I appreciate it coming with plexiglass templates so I don't have to trace and make my own. My criticisms are that it doesn't show you how to make an oval Mariner's Compass nor resize the blocks. Resizing the blocks really isn't that difficult to determine, you just extend out the lines of the plexiglass (or reduce) on paper to make a block the size of your choice. But I wish she'd covered how to make an oval block. My understanding is that she does this in another book but I am of the opinion is that if you're going to write a book on how to make a specific type of block, you should cover the main styles which is both round and oval for this type of block.

Criticism aside, I think it's a great book and well worth the money. I can envision myself making many Mariner's Compass bed size quilts and in a relatively short period of time instead of taking months just to make a lap size quilt.

I made a traditional Mariner's Compass block. It took me two all day classes and many nights at home too. It was pretty, but I vowed never to make another.
Then I bought Cheryl's book with her plastic wedge templates.
Her directions are clear and it's easy to cut exact with her templates. These are really big squares too--about 20 inches and very suitable for a center medalion.
It was actually fun to make this Mariner's Compass.
I'm glad I bought this book and I'll be making more of this pattern.

I made a traditional Mariner's Compass block. It took two full days of class and much homework to finish. It was pretty, but I vowed I'd never make another.
Then I bought Cheryl's book. The plastic templates are sturdy and
I got a very even cut with my rotary cutter. It was fun to make
this Mariner's compass and it turned out beautiful. Her directions are clear and the templates are exact. This makes a really large block, about 20 inches, so it is suitable for a center medalion. I'm glad I bought this book and I'll be making more Mariner's compass.

I have considered myself to be an intermediate quilter, not highly advanced. I was afraid of trying this, but am involved in a family quilt project and this compass was "assigned" to me.
I worked on it and found the instructions made perfect sense. Once I figured out the technique, I was able to do it! I'm impressed!
My compass block looks great, lies flat and I am proud of it!

I haven't made a compass from the book yet. However I read through it and am very impressed with the instructions, which seem simple to understand and concise, and with the templates provided with the book. I also have Cheryls' book, Quilts without Corners, which I would evaluate as equal to this book. I am more than happy with her books, so much so that I have looked up what other titles she has and intend to purchase more of her books. I would recommend this to anyone with basic patchwork skills, so have a go and Happy quilting friends.

I love this book, didn't have a clue as to the pattern, after listening to the book "Winding Ways Quilt" hunted it up in my quilt Bible and then got on the net and found it, ordered it and am using it, a well written instructional book, lot's of pictures for those of 'us' that need to SEE it worked out.
Made a lap quilt for my sister and am planning on a full (king) si. quilt for myself.
I reccomend this book for anyone wanting this quilt pattern.
Evelyn J. Horn

I have wanted to make a Winding Ways quilt for ages, but always thought it was way too difficult even for someone with a lot of sewing experience (like me). Nancy Macdonald promises "a practically pinless approach," and it's a practically painless approach as well. I'll soon be starting on my own Winding Ways top and this book gave me the confidence to do it.

This method of piecing was easy to understand and fun to do. I would consider getting the templates offered in the book. It made life a lot easier in the cutting of the pieces. My first quilt made from this book turned out really nice and I love the "circles" that each block forms.

I saw Nancy on a Simply Quilts TV show and then ordered this book. I am very glad I got the book and have had good success sewing curves that I was afraid to try,

I am happy with this book. It has good details for completing the projects. The templetes are complete sets in the book also.

This is a tremendous book. It has added to both my quilting and prayer life. The writing is exceptional and the quilts with related prayers really lead to deep reflection. I would recommend this book to anyone who is struggling to find their place , whose creative juices have stopped flowing, and for whom quilting and the needle arts is their place of refuge.

I was given this book as a gift a few years ago ... little did I know what a true "gift" it really was!

Quilting has been a creative outlet for me for many years, but spirituality has been dormant ... recent re-awakenings have allowed me to see the intense need and desire to re-build a firm spiritual foundation.

This book has shown the unique connection between the two ~ it has brought new dimensions to both my quilting and my spirituality.

Many thanks to the authors ~ for the hours of work designing quilts, discovering others' work and creating the book!

I was given this book as a gift a few years ago ... little did I know what a true "gift" it really was!

Quilting has been a creative outlet for me for many years, but spirituality has been dormant ... recent re-awakenings have allowed me to see the intense need and desire to re-build a firm spiritual foundation.

This book has shown the unique connection between the two ~ it has brought new dimensions to both my quilting and my spirituality.

Many thanks to the authors ~ for the hours of work designing quilts, discovering others' work and creating the book!

A friend gave me this book for Christmas and I was thrilled! Not only is it beautiful, the writings and reflections are profound. The authors delve into topics such as forgiveness, healing, joy, finding our voice, and many more. At the same time, they draw on the many traditions of quilting around the world. I was especially grateful to see the inclusion of African American quilt history, as well as Native Hawaiian, Amish, and others. My favorite part is how a photo of a quilt is used with each theme and then there are prayers and reflections to connect it all to my own spiritual journey. Wonderfully done! Quilters and non-quilters alike will be touched by this book!

I love this book - it is a beautiful celebration of tradition, art, spirituality and ritual.

interesting different ways to sew the old log cabin. Makes patchwork a lot of fun and gives quilts the 'wow' factor

I just keep using new patterns all the time. Easy instructions and lots of good illustrations. Suggestions help you get your imagination working for your own unique quilt pattern. I love my book.

With full-sized paper piecing patterns, lots of log cabin designs, and color photographs of completed blocks, this book is perfect for those who like paper-piecing log cabin blocks. I haven't seen another book that fits all of these criteria.

Quilting designs in a large variety of variations with some traditional ones included all with great color samples. Included with the full size templates are shaded greys of the pattern for ease in chosing your own masterpiece. Twisting and twirling the log shapes gives some spectacular results. An easy method for piecing tops it off. Now I have to decide which one to try first. The way it's layed out makes each block a very do-able project. Good for beginners as well as the pros.

This book contains pieced quilt block patterns aimed at hand sewing, although a few of the designs might work better with paper-foundation techniques. The book assumes you know how to sew the blocks, how to assemble them into a quilt, how to determine your fabric requirements, etc. If you love that kind of hand work, this book is a 5-star plus. If you don't love hand work, it's a zero.

I own at least 65 quilting books-recent ones. I desired to quilt but getting started difficult. When I found 101 Quilt Blocks it got me excited and I found out how to go about it. Does not give much instruction past making the block, you need another book for that, but once the block is underway you will find a way. No other book gave me the way--yes this should be your first quilt book no other.

This is a great book showing unusual blocks perfect for showing off your skills. All blocks when finished are 10 inches. (If only they were 12 inches!)

This book is very cool. All my other hand-piece pattern books feature old, traditional patterns before everyone started machine-piecing. Most pattern books today assume you're machine-piecing and the instructions have to be adjusted. But this book is wonderful! Lots of fun, up-to-date, incredible geometric patterns for hand-piecing! It shows not only what one block will look like, but what the quilt will look like so you can see all the secondary patterns which often aren't what you'd anticipate! Gives you everything you need, including templates. Blocks are mostly not for beginners, unless you're already good at hand-sewing.

This is a wonderful book. I love history, and even though I am not of German descent, my family dates back to pre Revolution days. I'm a new quilter and this is the perfect book for me. I love how it tells a story and is beautiful. Even making a panel or two challenges me and I want to make everything as historically correct as possible. The instructions are terrific. I think anyone interested in creating their own piece of beautiful treasure for their own home and has a taste for history, will love this book.

As usual, I was very satisfied with my recent purchase, as I have been with ALL of my purchases. I have found items thru you that I have been told were out of print and not to be found. Keep up the great work.

Pam Holland's '1776' quilt swept the Best in Show at four major US Quilt shows when it was first unveiled to the public. "The 1776 Quilt: Heartache, Heritage, And Happiness" is the profusely illustrated and personal story of how she made this award winning quilt, along with the history of a true masterpiece of needlecraft which was originally made in 1776 by Sorbian soldiers on the battlefield as they awaited invasion, and Pam Holland's dedicated determination to recreate it as a means helping herself to put her own life back together after the untimely death of her daughter. Included are step-by-step directions to make the full quilt (plus six smaller quilts using the design motifs of '1776'. Superbly enhanced with the inclusion of full templates, color photos, and historical notes, "The 1776 Quilt" would grace any personal or community library Needlecraft reference collection.

I ordered "The 1776 Quilt" for two reasons, I like to quilt and my ancestry is from Bautzen. My family the Wendlandt's are from that part of Sachsen, Germany. I was totally amazed at the author's ability to capture the details of the quilt and her daily journaling. I am also looking forward to reproducing some of the figures of the quilt. Great book.

This is a book that is jam packed with beautiful applique quilt patterns based on nativity themes. It includes instructions for a lovely tree skirt and other decorative quilt projects. I've seen patterns like these offered block of the month style at $7 to $12 per block ... Here you have many usable, detailed designs and configurations all for the price of one book. If you shy away from detailed applique, this book probably isn't for you. However, if you are a quilter looking for projects that focus on the spiritual meaning of Christmas, and enjoy McKenna Ryan or Mount Redoubt style applique designs, you will enjoy making the projects in this book.

Rachel Brown's book, Adoration Quilts: Applique Nativity Projects, is much more than a how to book for Christmas quilts. While the illustrations and directions in this book clearly teach the reader how to construct attractive Christmas quilts, there is a story here. Ms. Brown takes you on a Biblical and personal journey with each quilt block. She puts the spiritual element back into Christmas by sharing her family traditions. After reading the role each block plays in telling the story of Jesus's birth, I felt better prepared to tell the story,creating my own nativity quilt.

I recommend this book to people who like quilting , applique work ,and Christmas stories.

I was looking for a good book of Christmas patterns that were based on the holy family and I found it it in this book. It is very flexible in its patterns and possibilities for different projects and I was thoroughly pleased. I definitely recommend this book for people looking for patterns in this area.

Rachel W.N. Brown's ADORATION QUILTS: APPLIQUE NATIVITY PROJECTS uses Christmas and the story of the Nativity as a theme, offering projects which blend Nativity themes into quilts. Table settings, fireplace mantle decorations, and more. A top pick for holiday decorators handy with the needle.

I've bought, read, or browsed through many books on this subject. Granick's book on Amish quilts is the most comprehensive and fascinating I've seen. A delight to read. A delight to the eyes. I recommend it highly.

As a serious collector of Amish quilts, and a textiles professor who also does research on the topic, I am so glad that this book is in print. So many of the others on Amish quilts show the quilts without the cultural context. The cultural and religious context is briefly presented in this book, which is a departure from most of the others.

Not ony does Eve Wheatcroft Granick walk through the evolution of the Amish quilt, she also helps the reader grasp Amish heritage and culture. I would highly recommend this book!

I highly reccommend this book to anyone interested in Amish quilts. The pictures are gorgeous and the historical text is fascinating. I bought an antique quilt 2 years ago and was told it came from a farm auction in an Amish community in Iowa. As it is a double wedding ring pattern with a multitude of small print calicos and pink backing I dismissed the idea that it was of Amish origin. However, after reading about quilts from Iowa and their use of patterned fabrics I am thrilled to think that it probably is Amish.

A wonderful book!