Quilting Books

Elizabeth Hamby Carlson is so creative and talented. She takes this classic pattern, breaks it down and then explodes it! Great book for your reference library and inspiration.

Burgoyne Surrounded is usually done in blue and white or red and white. This book shows the traditional style, a scrap variation (see cover), Christmas colors, and a few others styles. If you like this pattern (no half-square triangles!) this book is fabulous at explaining how to put it all together.

I am a new quilter. I learned the basics from _Quilting for Dummies_ and, from there, picked up a number of quilting pattern/design concept books for inspiration. _The Careless Quilter_ was the book that finally got me sewing: Faced with far too many choices for a quilt design, I was at an impasse, reluctant to cut up and "waste" my fabric. Miller's concept of starting with a simple square and building outward from the center, all the while making a series of small decisions, freed me of my anxiety about "ruining" my project (which is coming along nicely). I recommend this book to anyone who is starting out, who needs inspiration, or who wants to look at the art of quilting with fresh eyes.

I just received this book and really liked it. The basic idea is to start with a central medallion and then make design and fabric choices to let your quilt grow around the medallion. This means you don't plan the quilt entirely in advance, which I think is more fun, and results in a interesting quilt.

I taught myself how to quilt (I knew how to sew, but knew nothing about patchwork), and used a method very similar to the author's. I have now made many quilts using that method, and really enjoyed finding someone else who uses it. I also learned a lot from the examples in the book (for instance, she makes using triangles non-scary!), and will be able to design more varied quilts now.

However, I think the title "Careless Quilter" might put some people off. It's true that the author shows you how to correct mistakes without tearing your whole quilt apart, and even, in some cases, demonstrates how supposed "mistakes" can be used to your advantage. But the quilts produced by her method are not sloppy or poorly made, as might be implied by her title. "Careless", in this case, refers to not planning the entire quilt top in advance.

I recommend this book to people who want a change from the block-by-block quilting method, or who enjoy making their own design and fabric choices. And my thanks to Kristin Miller for writing it!

A "Christmas Ribbonry" is a wonderful book. The ornaments are so different! The one that initially caught my eye was the galette on page 40. I ran out and bought ribbon to make it. It did take some time, but after it was finished I had the most adorable little "cookie". The directions were very clear as were the illustrations. What a beautiful house where all the pictures were taken!

I can't wait to start on another Christmas ornament. What's also nice is that there are ideas in it to create useful decorations throughout the year. For instance, you can make covered boxes in pastels for Sringtime.

Thanks for making my holiday a little more special. I highly recommend this book and give it five stars plus!

This is a well-written and informative book. The instructions are clear and allow a novice to complete many of the creations. A book like this gives readers hours of enjoyment; plus you can learn a skill. I feel that Mrs. Nitschke is a creative genius and thank her for her hard work in compiling this book.

I highly recommend this book to readers who want to be creatively challenged.

A great Christmas gift for your artistic friends.

Liz Schwartz has, by far, the best foundation pieced publications. She and husband, Steven, also publish Quilts With Style Magazaine and she has published several other hard to find special books. You will never be disappointed with anything that has her name on it. The directions are explicit, easy to follow and the results never fail to be stunning. Catherine Triplett

it's a shame that there are so many quilt books on the market that many are overlooked or are never reprinted. this is one of the fabulous books that should have been reprinted.

i am familiar with carol doak's work, which i love and love doing. these authors easily equal carol doak.

the designs are lovely, stunning, varied. and, what's even better, they are shown in at least three color ways, and joined, so that you have an excellent idea of how they look repeated and differently colored.

if you like paper piecing, and/or stars, this is a book for you. track it down--you won't be disappointed.

I've been quilting for over 30 years and have an embarassing number of quilt books, but this one is a great addition to my collection. This book has me eager to make a number of the quilts inside.

As the title suggests, these are paper pieced quilts. Included are some pattern pages which may be photocopied to be the paper foundation for piecing. Patterns include Mariner's Compass, Log Cabin, Pickle Dish, Wedding Ring, Flying Geese and Fan, among others. With the advent of rotary cutting, this method seems unnecessary for something simple like the Log Cabin pattern, but using it for the other patterns greatly improves the accuracy of my piecing and using this for the Wedding Ring is truly innovative and something I am eager to try. In addition to the instructions which are clear and well-illustrated, there are over twenty full pages of color pictures which supply inspiration to go along wtih the information within these pages.

My only very small complaint is that there are several Mariner's Compass blocks in the Gallery section that go to a central point in the center of the square--a very engaging square, but the you won't find the instructions here. Instead you find compass blocks with the circle center, which in all fairness, is the square pictured most often in these pages.

I have enjoyed working with this book. The paper foundations included are much easier to work with than if they were just printed on the book's pages. I did the Double Wedding Ring and the results were teriffic! This is paper piecing for people who are committed to doing traditional work with new methods, and it makes sense to combine the techniques. I have recommended it to my advanced students. Not for beginners! I only wish I hadn't forgotten who I loaned this book to, as now I have to buy another copy!

Dierdre Amsden of the UK is the one who first introduced this technique, which USA authors have renamed either "Watercolor" or "Impressionist". DA's quilts are top quality, this is a lovely book

Colorwash is the author's own unique design technique. She shares all in this comprehensive look at painting with fabric. Includes color excercises and design charts.

Simply Seminole : Techniques & Designs in Quilt MakingThe Complete Book of Seminole Patchwork (Dover Needlework Series)
Both books are easy to understand and the patterns are colorful!

While the construction methods given are old-fashioned, this book is full of marvleous examples and ideas for creating your own Seminole Patchwork designs. Beverly Rush gives easy-to-understand instructions, plenty of background material, and a super foundation for taking this technique in many different directions. The photos of her work are very inspiring - I bought it because of the inside back cover illustrations, but now it's my favorite book on the subject. Definitely a must-have for anyone interested in the topic.

If you are looking for a book to inspire your quilter's creativity, you've found it. The many illustrations of unique quilts inspired by the native Hawaiians' original quilt style are colorful, vibrant, and unique.
If you are looking for a step-by-step instruction guide, this is not for you. I found this book to be a wonderful display of innovative accomplishment.

This is a lovely book of pictures of Hawaiian Quilts, I though I was purchasing a book with patterns on how to make the quilts. There is a good explantion of the history of Hawaiian quilts.

This book is fantastic!!! I can't count the number of times I've gone through it cover to cover. The quilt designs are gorgeous and the design exercises fun as well as educational. My medium is oil and acrylic paint. There are thousands of idea's for paintings as well as quilts. This book will inspire the creativity in you! I can't recommend Contemporary Quilts enough.

Exceptional value for your money, this book is a beautiful and exciting read for artists of any media.

I have just seen this exhibition, as it is still touring- it is currently on display at the San Bernardino County Museum, Redlands, California- and loved it!! The book is a wonderful display of these innovative quilts. If you cannot make it to Redlands, this book is the next best thing- if you can, it is a wonderful souvenir!! Highly recommended!!!

This book displays modern quilts and techniques which go far beyond the traditional quilting styles. This provides a fresh look to what can be accomplished through quilting. (pictures only, no patterns, etc).