Quilting Books

The author provides us with a history of quilt genres, accompanied by beautiful color photographs and full size pattern pieces of select quilts. The text is well researched and gives the reader an understanding of the political and social influences that led to the development of different quilt styles.

The author also gives a bit of detail to accompany each quilt photograph, which I found fascinating. The contemporary quilts, created by the author and colleagues, are models using traditional patterns; not the free form, machine quilted exercises that are currently in vogue among some quilt artists.

This book should be in the library of both the novice and experienced quiltmaker. The "Wow" factor is very motivating.

I have been a quilter for more than 20 years now. At first I taught myself how to cut fabric and piece it together, but in the eighties more and more books came on the market, and I could learn new techniques all the time.

When you quilt you also want to read about quilt history, and among alot of great books on the market Pieces of the Past by Nancy J. Martin is a treasure.

Nancy J. Martin knows what she is talking about when she talks about quilt. A quilter and collector for years she is one of the women in USA that knows most about both old and new quilts. She and her husband were the founders of That Patchwork Place, a "book paradise" for quilters.

Pieces of the Past has three parts. The first part is about history of qults patterns, colors and fabric in the United States. The second part, written by Martin's friend Marsha McCloskey show us how to make contempraru quilts, and the third part is a pattern collection of many traditional quilts.

This book is helpful for both new quilters and more advanced ones. It is filled with photos of old and new quilts, and is a treasure for every quilters home and book shelf.

Britt Arnhild Lindland

Pieces of The Past by Nancy J. Martin, is a comprehensive history of quilt patterns, their creators and periods, along with practical guidance for the serious quilter of all ability levels. It features excellent photographs and clear, concise instructions, patterns, templates and advice on how to create original heirlooms for your own family or for posterity. A must have for any lover of quilts or quilting! This ranks as one of the best quilt books ever published.

Very easy to follow instructions. Reusable templates in three sizes. I have used the large size to make a quilted table topper for a round table. Perfect!

I hadn't made a quilt in 5 years and tackled this one, thinking it would take FOREVER. Took me 2 weeks using only scraps. It is going into a judging quilt show in the near future. The book is wonderful and instructions are simple to follow. Don't hesitate, make this quilt.

I purchased this book a few weeks back. I was afraid to try the Giant Dahlia Quilt because of all of the negative things I had heard. I have made 2 of the Giant Dahlias this week and They were so easy. The instructions are super, The best I have seen any place. My quilts assembled great. I would recommend this book to anyone who, like me are afraid to tackle such a project. These ladies did a great job, with written instructions and pictures that show you just how to do it. Helen

wow! what a book! it is so helpful. especially with the pictures and, it shows you how to make fantastic quilts in an easy step-by-step guide. i can't recommend it enough! buy it!!!!

jeezuz, mc creezuz. this is possibly the greatest book ever. move over tolstoy and jeffrey archer, abigails in town. heres a little synopsis- the book enables you to make beautiful quilts for all uses whether it be your clothing or your wall drapes take your pick.
god praise abigail for giving us the blessing of the quilt blessing

From the second I opened this book, I knew I was in for a treat.
The author has clearly put a lot of effort into this book, and it shows with superb diagrams and beautiful examples of traditional and modern quilts. After completing the first project I was so pleased that I immediatly began the next one. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

This book was a delightful surprise. There are quilts for every different skill level and all of them are lovely.

With 126 pages, this book is loaded. There are 39 projects and the authors have designated skill levels for each: 19 beginner projects, 13 intermediate, and 7 advanced. You'll see folksy homespun projects as well as breath-takingly elegant ones. Quilts, tree skirts, wall-hangings, a gift bag, table runners, and stockings. Some applique, a few paper-piecing, and even redwork. Beautiful photography provides such inspiration, as the diagrams and instructions ensure success. What you won't see is the "quilt as desired" copout: Quilting suggestions are provided and truly helpful. Some of the items can be made with leftovers from the other projects. How cool is that? I confess that I was leery of the template method for the Dancing Stars Tree Skirt; but, it was just too pretty to pass up. Surprisingly, it came together easy and quick despite the templates and I am so enthused and confident that I may take a shot at cleaning the garage. But first, I want to make the Holly Jolly Basket.

I bought this book to fill in an order from Amazon, and it was a wonderful surprise. Every pattern in it is one that I want to make. Very well put together and a wonderful Christmas book for any quilter.

I borrowed this book out of the library along with a stack of other quilting and embroidery books. I was simply amazed as this book incorporated everything that I have been wanting to do with my quilting, but just wasn't sure how to get there. I've made enough full-sized quilts to keep us all going for awhile and really wanted to do something more creative. This book shows you how and it is now on my wish list to buy as funds are available. That is really the way to tell how good a book is; if after studying your library copy front to back several times, you still want your own copy.

This book shows you how to use patchwork, applique, beading and embroidery to make delightful quilts. The author also uses a less is more theory, so her quilts have just enough decoration. I've seen some decorated quilts that although lovely remind me of a delicious, rich dessert--no matter how yummy your tummy is still a bit upset after eating it. These quilts aren't that way at all and I look forward to getting my own copy.

It took a little longer to get here than I expected, but it arrived in very good condition. I was very happy with my order.

If you love hand quilting and decorative embellishment, you will find this book simply amazing! The techniques are fresh and exquisitely beautiful and surprisingly easy to do! In addition to the beautiful step-by-step projects, there is a fourteen page gallery of lovely quilts that will give you all the inspiration you'll need to use these techniques on your own quilts. Linda explains the concept of choosing a quilt pattern and deciding how to embellish. Gone are my days of being stuck not knowing how to quilt a top once it is pieced or appliqued! This book is a must have for every hand quilter's library!

A piece of fabric is the pulse of life is written across our eyes by drape, shape, texture, and hue. Art forms, and perhaps art itself, have their own genetic codes-forms of doubling and redoubling that, as DNA does with the cell, determine a look, a feel, a character, an emotion. Lucky, then, are the pieces of fabric doubled and redoubled by the eyes and hands of Yoshiko Jinzenji. A few snips of color and weave become a mix of art and the irrepressible urge to adorn that make you want to dive off this world and into what you see.

She best articulates the origins of all this in her book's Introduction:

"I have a very clear memory of my first encounter with quilts. It was in Toronto in the winter of 1970, in the furniture section of Eaton's department store downtown. There, surrounded by standardized fluffy bedspreads, were two handmade quilts draped over wooden racks. I went over to them as if drawn by a magnet and took them in my hand, wondering what on earth these handmade quilts were doing in the middle of a display of manufactured goods. The oddity of the combination was stunning. The quilts were made by joining together many small pieces of cloth and then covering the whole with fine hand stitching. Each had a price tag, and I was stunned again to see that they were not much more expensive than the manufactured spreads. Who could have made these, I asked myself, and what had inspired their beautiful handwork

Yoshiko's work is a textile manifestation of the preoccupation with apres-antique and avant-garde that characterizes so much of Japanese culture today. On page 40 she recounts the symbiosis of ancient textiles in the tea ceremony; a scant 7 pages further on were are suddenly confronted with a work made of some of the most interesting cloth ideations of Jun'ichi Arai. Jun'ichi is arguably the most innovative and certainly the most influential textile creative artist working today-the textile equivalent of Issey Miyake's fabrications in his heyday of two decades ago. Jun'ichi has taken the marriage of technology and history further down the road to progeny than any other designer. He also is an astonishingly good and sensitive writer, and his Foreword to Yoshiko's book is so good that it is reproduced below.

Yoshiko, like Jun'ichi, is nothing if not a creative technician who happens to make art. Her text and caption content sums to an amazingly low overall word count given the amount of detail and philosophy it conveys. One reason is the lush plates-many so good they could be enlarged and hung in a gallery devoted to contemporary fine-art photography. Then there are the dozens of step-by-step how-to diagrams that guide the home quilter through the process of emulating Yoshiko's pieces. The readers need not be especially accomplished sewers, either, for despite their complex look, Yoshiko's pieces are really composed of fairly straightforward elements lines and patterns; there's just a lot of them. Any who would re-create one of her works at home needs patience more than proficiency.

Yoshiko is generous enough to pass along step-by-step instructions for a dyeing method she found via experiment in order to accomplish what must be the ultimate coals-to-Newcastle notion in textile history: dyeing white material white. That might seem an exercise in conceit, but the reason goes far back into the wellsprings of Japanese aesthetics. As she tells it,

"I had been making quilts for years from fabrics that I dyed myself with natural dyes when I had a kind of awakening. It was during an exhibition where my work was being shown together with that of a lacquerware artist. When I looked at his pieces, with their simple and beautiful form and their quiet sheen achieved by applying lacquer in careful layers, I thought, what kind of fabric could I make that would have the same sense of power? Finally it came to me, I wanted to find a natural dye that would dye cloth white. . . . In the field of natural dyes white was the one color no one knew how to obtain. For me white was suggestive of the fusuma and shoji sliding doors used to separate Japanese-style rooms, as well as the traditions of sumi ink drawings and calligraphy and even the white sand of Zen gardens."

"Finally I hit on the idea of trying that strange combination of tree and grass, bamboo. Two or three hours later the cloth had been transformed. It was if the silk was a prism sparkling with colors like pink, yellow, and green. It was a white with depths."

Yoshiko's book is a combination of high art and ladle-in-the-dyebath practicality. The many full-plate and even more part-page pictures amply illustrate the first. The drawings and text take care of the latter. With so many active quilters and societies all around the world these days, few would argue that quilting isn't an art form. With Yoshiko's book in hand, anyone interested in quilting, textiles, home design, or fashion design will be inspired to make art of their own. Her 90 specific projects, clear design patterns and detailed instructions can guide just about anyone with enthusiasm and patience to make quilts, pillows, clutch purses, mandalas, spreads, wall hangings, and even a hammock to end all hammocks. Yoshiko's work is a rarity even in the world of art-to-wear and its nonwearable textile art relatives: utterly unique.

This book is beautifully written and designed. The cover and paper used are artful. Yoshiko Jenzenji shares her passion for quilting in a way that weaves a common thread through cultures, locales, nature, and spirituality. I could feel my heart swell as I read through this book and as I looked at and studied the photographs. This is a book about her quilts and about quilting--but the photography and artistry of its cover and between its covers makes it a special treasure. I am excited to own this book and will be proud to display it. I am so inspired by Yoshiko Jenzenji's quilt work and passion for quilting. I became dizzy with inspiration! I will recommend it to every friend I have--and not all of them are quilters! I would think they would all want to BECOME quilters after experiencing this book. Yoshiko Jenzenji seemed to open her heart and her home with this book. I am thankful to her for sharing her passion and talent with the world!

Yoshiko Jinzenji has made a beautiful book showing her magnificient quilts and pieces of fabric arts.

The book itself, photos, paper, printing, writing, style, is a piece of art. A book you will be happy to own, no matter if you are a quilter or just a book lover. A perfect coffee table book for any home, though this one is so much more than a coffee table book. This book deserves to be read and be looked through again and again.

Yoshiko Jinzenji has been a quilter for a lifetime, and during these years she has developed her own unique and perfect style. We get to know Jinzenji through the pages of the book, both through words and through pictures. We meet her and her quilts in Kyoto, and we meet her in her studio in Bali. The book also have a section on how to make quilts, easy to read, easy to follow the step by step instructions. Jinzenji makes her quilts from ancient fabric collected from around the world, and she makes her quilts from natural dyes in light, clean colors. But no matter what the fabric is, her vibrant quilts all stand out and have all their own story to tell

The highlights in the book though are the pictures. The somewhat clean and stylish picture of a Small Modern Amish quilt displayed on the wall in her Kyoto home, the fantastic puzzle of an uncountable number of small Mandala quilts put together to form a universe in colors, cloths and patterns, the collague of many pictures from scenes around her studio in Bali as inspirations for future quilts.

The way the writing and photos in the book are put together shows the reader a new way to look at the surroundings, and through that a new way to look at life. Or to say it with the words from the foreword of the book, written by textile designer Jun'ichi Arai; I am convinced that Yoshiko Jinzenji's achievements in establishing a new genre in quilting will never be forgotten.

This book is a must have for any quilter! I have decided to order one as a gift for a friend who has just started quilting. Eleanor makes her directions easy to follow and understand. THe Pioneer Quilting book has an array of beautiful choices for many fabrics and color schemes. A lovely book!

Pioneer Sampler is one of my very few Keepers in the quilt reference library, and you should know I'm "picky" in that I don't want same old/same old repackaged. I had that -- and it was a waste. Er, and instead of picky, let's say selective, okay? (grin)

So several years ago Kidlet gifted me with the Pioneer Sampler book and I was tickled. It was her first quilt book to me (she'd given notions before but to save her money/buy this was a real treat)
In any event, I use mine AT LEAST once per week.

You see, it's a perpetual calendar too. So in addition to the quilt blocks we also get a two-page spread for each month of the year. Because it's one of the perpetual's you can mark the first on any day block that pleases you. So, since Son was born on a Sunday, 2 November`is Sunday for that month. Kidlet was a Monday, so in December, the 5th is Monday.

Please note I use and maybe even abuse my favorites. This book has stood the test of time -- folded back, folded over, whatever. All pages are intact and of good quality.
That's another thing -- the paper is of better than average thickness and all are shiny. Ink doesn't smear either when you write on it.

As for blocks, lots of choices, all basic and easy to duplicate. Specifically, there are no applique pieces to fuss with.
The beginning of the book is an overview of our lovely toys, er, tools, and provides basic how to's.

In addition to the blocks shown on the cover, there are others photographed (real blocks/real fabrics) showing color variations. It can be quite a colorful quilt if you prefer.

Back to the book:
Next we have January... it's a covered wagon sort of journey. We read a tiny bit about what is on the trail. Get a block to make, detailed instructions including cutting, measurements, directions to press, order of sewing -- you know: the "basics" but still necessary. Then we have the calendar pages, and they include a recipe plus show a strip with all 12 blocks in chronological order of the book.

Note on details: Our recipes match the seasons. Specifically, you're not gong to get a recipe for something that's out of season at that particular time of the year. It's a detail, but shows care went into the layout of this one.

There are twelve blocks with such names as Chisholm Trail, Golden Gate, Rocky Mountain. At the end of the book are several pages telling us how to border and complete the quilt. The illustrations are clear and directions are easy to understand.

In any event, this is my calendar -- I can tell you when the pups were born, when Grandma was born, when Kidlet had her first date with Blue Eyes -- everything! And whenever I step back in time with this one I swear I'm making the quilt. Still haven't mind you but I don't know many reference books that have been used as much as this one. Goodness -- imagine it as a Perpetual Calendar for Quilters. It doesn't get much better than this!
Aside: for the one time only events (yearly festivals for instance) just use a Post-It note on the appropriate page. You can also tuck in pictures of your completed quilts for a visual reference later generations may appreciate.

I'd pay retail -- my highest compliment.

Eleanor Burns' Quilt in a Day series is a great collection of books to help quilters, and Pioneer Sampler is one of my favorites. It includes 12 different blocks to create a lovely sampler quilt. Each block has a little descriptive paragraph about its name, and there are a few recipes in the book too. But best of all is the clear and detailed pictures and directions of how to make each square and the whole quilt. I

This book is a testament to the importance of textiles and the power of dreams. In 1994, Esther Bryan (who is not a quilter) went to Slovakia with her father who was returning to the village where he grew up for the first time since WWII. This trip profoundly affected her art, and she created an exhibition entitled "Return" made up of the stories and of the textiles that she and her father were given while they were there. The response to her exhibit by other immigrant families led her to realize the universal nature of her family's story, and she conceived of the Quilt of Belonging as a way to express her concept that every person is "an equally valued part of the tapestry of life." I had the privilege of seeing this 10 foot tall by 120 foot long quilt at the International Quilt Festival in Houston last year, and it was both incredibly beautiful and incredibly moving. Containing 263 squares representing 71 aboriginal groups and the 192 nations of the world, this quilt contains an incredible parade of textile gifts. The book describes the story of the making of the Quilt of Belonging, completely through volunteer efforts, and then devotes a page to each of the squares, telling the story of the maker of each one and the symbolism of the textile techniques that were used to represent that nation's people. It is an amazing project. Sales of the book support the travels of the Quilt so that more people can experience it in person.

I saw this actual quilt at the Houston Internation Quilt Show. When you see it you can't possibly read all the stuff on each peace, so I was really glad to find out that I could purchase this book through Amazon. It was also less costly and I did not have to carry it back all the way from Houston. I also bought this book for my mother.

I had the joy of seeing this 120-foot long quilt in Houston last week and I got to meet and speak with the artist/author. I bought the book. The book is wonderful. The story of how this project began and the many amazing things that happened along the way will touch your heart. The idea that we all come from some place and that place is deserving of honor is expressed in quiet dignity within each block of the quilt. In the book you see the faces of the people who created the quilt. Just Wonderful.
Catherine

I would like to make 10 of the 15 quilts that are in this book. Each one of them is unique and special. Little surprise pockets, curves, petals, poems - I haven't found any other book that shows so many special quilts. I can't decide which one to start with.

There is truly nothing else out there quite like this book. I was looking for a book that breaks away from traditional quilting, expecially one that uses lots of curves in the design. And what a treat I found in this book! The authors use discarded clothing for fabric and buttons, and they delight in incorporating hidden elements, poetry, Chinese fortunes, removeable or repositionable parts and even game boards. Their method of sewing curves is super-easy, unlike other books in my collection. The result ? funky, creative, playful quilts that are great for, but certainly not limited to, kids. These are NOT your Grandmother's quilts! I would love to see more books by these innovative authors. If you have avoided learning to quilt because it looks complicated and boring, get this book NOW.

I've been looking for a book like Quilt Sensations since I started quilting. The projects are fun colorful and incredibly creative. Most of them are "playable" with hidden pockets and surprise messages and all of the quilts are a pleasure to look at. The authors focus mostly on texture and tend to avoid anything where you have to have a perfect stich and they give a lot of lee way in the instructions so the quilt can be made truly unique. The projects vary from super easy to more challanging. My only complaints were that a couple of the instructions weren't the best and I had to read them a over before my mind went "Oh!" and that some of the fabric the authors used can be rather expensive. All told this is one of my favorite quilt books ever and I wish there were more books like it out there.

This book has something for quilters of every style. If you are looking to "expand your horizons" or just find something unique for your next quilt, you will probably find it in here! Her directions are simple, and illustrations plentiful. Just using her "postcard" size examples as a basis for projects would give you a working knowledge of embellishing for any quilting need. It is unusual to find a book covering so many topics that provides sufficient instructions in each topic, and for this reason "Quilt Toppings" will probably not just be in my quilt library for a long time, but on the shelf next to my sewing machine. Well done, Melody!

I recently bought Melody Crust's book after having bought what I thought was a book on applique and having been extremely disappointed and upset. If you wanted a book on brightly colorful quilts that would have been it, but Melody's book was what I was really looking for. If you are looking for a book on embellishing small quilts and wall hangings this is the book for you. It is bright, colorful, and chock full of ideas and techniques for creating and embellishing the quilts. While you could copy some of her creations she encourages you to create your own, and you can. If you have some small amount of sewing skills or none at all you can sew small pieces on your own. No machine is really necessary, though you might want to have an iron on hand. You don't need that much skill to sew beads to fabric, and any block can be hand sewn with just a running stitch. Most of your creations will never see the inside of a washing machine as they are for display only and won't need it. You don't even need to buy fabric if you have some old clothing you can wash, iron and cut into sheets for your squares, any fabric will do. If you just want some small pieces of handwork to do while you think or to teach yourself this is the book for you. The price you pay for the book is well worth it if you are looking for that one applique and embellishment book to spark your creativity.

"Quilt Toppings: Fun And Fancy Embellishment Techniques" by quilting expert Melody Crust features hundreds of color photos illustrating close-up details of quilting embellishment techniques, before-and-after shots of projects that transformed plain quilts into works of the needlecrafter's art, and a wealth of impressive resources for inspiration and for embellishment techniques ranging from beading to painting, buttons and bows, thread play, and fabrics. Each individual chapter includes an 'Idea Gallery' of unique quilt toppings. "Quilt Toppings"is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to instructional quilting reference collections for the novice needlecrafter and has a great deal to offer even the more experienced quilt maker.