Quilt Books FAQ

Patterns in this book range from easy to hard; from well-known designs to more obscure patterns. Some of the patterns you may have never seen before since they were reproduced from museum quilts.

AMERICA'S TRADITIONAL CRAFTS ($95)
by Robert Shaw
Macmillan, N.Y. 1993.

Wonderful book. Wonderful color photos...quilts and a lot more... very oversize... BEAUTIFUL...

AMERICAN QUILT: A History of Cloth and Comfort 1750-1950, $60
Text: Roderick Kiracofe with Mary Elizabeth Johnson
Photos: Sharon Risendorph
Published by Clarkson Potter, New York

Buy it, it's gorgeous and you will learn a ton of stuff about quilting that you never know--extremely well researched, beautifully designed book, nice typefaces, photography excellent of course--

This is a beautiful book. It has several features I like, including a time line about quilt styles and fabrics. The photographs are unusually clear and brilliant. It is expensive; however, you will find it sold by the discount retailers. I have seen it listed for $48.

ANGLE ANTICS ($18.95)
by Mary Hickey
That Patchwork Place, 1991

Explores the design potential of a rectangle constructed of two contrasting triangles (called bias rectangle). It also provides you with a technique for constructing this rectangle quickly and accurately. (Most patterns are star patterns.)

AMISH ADVENTURE, AN (A Workbook for Color in Quilts) ($15.95)
by Roberta Horton
C&T Publishing, Lafyette, CA 1983

Very good book.

AMISH QUILT, THE ($45)
by Eve Wheatcroft Grannick
1989, Good Books, Intercourse Pennsylvania

Not only beautiful Amish quilts, but also their stories and a view on the communities and eras from which they come. A great body of information about the Amish and their textile traditions. Facts presented through interviews and conversations with Amish families and with people whose lives have touched the Amish people, including many who sold fabrics to these seamstresses.

APPLIQUE: 12 EASY WAYS
by Elly Sienkiewicz.

Excellent book on various applique techniques. She starts out with basic methods and moves on to more specialized techniques. This books gives you a solid foundation in applique.

APPLIQUE PATTERNS FROM NATIVE AMERICAN BEADWORK DESIGNS ($14.95)
by Dr. Joyce Mori
AQS, Paducah, KY

Great for anyone interested in this subject matter. Most of the designs in this book are adapted from beaded objects made by members of Native American Indian tribes located in five major regions in North America.

BACK TO SQUARE ONE ($17.99)
by Nancy J. Martin
That Patchwork Place 1988

Great book featuring Nancy Martin's personal quiltmaking techniques (template- free approach).

She shows how to make what she calls a Square 1, Square 1.5 or Square 2. Square 1 is made of 2 triangles. This is what you need for Ocean Waves. Square 1.5 is made of one big triangles and 2 little ones. Square 2 is made of 4 little triangles. I am making a huge wall hanging that uses all of these different squares and it is working wonderfully!

BEST OF THE CLASSIC QUILT SERIES, THE
by Laura Nownes.

This book is chock full of great photos and patterns (and instructions) for many "classic" quilt designs (cathedral windows and grandmother's flower garden to name only two).

BITS AND PIECES, TEXTILE TRADITIONS
by Jeanette Lasansky

This books contains essays/thesis on history and other aspects: the relationship between late 19th c. dress fabrics &quilt devel., other fascinating things.

BRAID &CHEVRON UPDATED
by Camille Remme
ME Publications Santa Monica, CA 1993

45 variations of making braid and chevron borders from one traditional pattern.

BLOCKBUSTER QUILTS
by Margaret Miller

An unusual approach to setting odd blocks (i.e., block of the month, friendship blocks, good bye blocks, or blocks that are not all quite the same size) into a quilt top. More for the advanced piecer. Very original.

CONWAY ALBUM (I'M NOT FROM BALTIMORE) QUILT
by Irma Gail Hatcher

This is a Baltimore style quilt done in a blue design scheme. Each of the blocks in her design could be used to make a wonderful quilt of that block alone. However, the whole quilt is a stunner. It's the one that won first place for Innovative Applique, large quilt AND the Founders Award at the American International Quilt Show in Houston.

COUNTRY QUILTS IN A DAY ($14.95)
by Fran Roen
Sterling Publishing Co, NY 1991

This book uses strip quilting and other speed techniques. Very simplistic. Good for a person interested in teaching themselves how to quilt.

COUNTRY QUILTS BY COUNTRY LIVING ($25.00)
Text by Eleanor Levie, Jennifer Place and Mary Seehafer Sears
Hearst Books, New York 1992

More than 10 years worth of Country Living's favorite country quilts, offering instructions and pattern pieces for making twenty of them. Over 100 examples of how quilts can personalize every room in the house, adding color and graphic impact to any space.

CRIB QUILTS AND OTHER SMALL WONDERS ($29.50)
by Thos. K. Woodward & Blanche Greenstein
Bonanza Books, New York 1988 edition

Lots of colorful quilts.

COMPLETE BOOK OF MACHINE QUILTING, THE
by Robbie and Toby Fanny
(Chilton Needlework Series), 1980

Discusses frame basting on pages 58-65, with ilustrations on pages 60 and 62 of the materials, the components, the frame set up and in use.

COMPLETE BOOK OF SEMINOLE PATCHWORK, THE ($7.95)
Rush, Beverly with Lassie Wittman
New York: Dover, 1993.

This is the book for anyone interested in Seminole patchwork. I have two other books on the topic and have seen others at the library--THIS is the one to buy.

It's a reprint of the 1982 edition which has been out of print for some time. It's just $7.95 from I was born and raised in S. Florida and just adore the Seminole patchwork. This is the first book I've seen that's had something of an accurate history, too.

QUILT CLIP ART ($10.95)
by Cheryl Petersen
Quiltessence/Fine Publications

It's a nice little book that has all kinds of sewing-related images, quilt borders, the word QUILT in various fonts and stylings, little quilts flying pigs, thimbles and thread.

The nice part about this publisher is that you can order DISKS of all the clip art (a necessity if you don't own a scanner!) The clip art is available for MACs in pict form on 3.5" disks. It is also available for the IBM or clone, but you must call or write to them and give them your graphic requirements.

COLOR WASH WORKBOOK ($12.95)
by Shirley Liby
Graphics Unlimited, 1993

This book is the result of Liby's creative play and her approach to the process of color wash through a series of modules that seemed to simplify the whole idea for her.

I like this book because it is in black and white and, therefore, easier to separate values. There are also a lot of grids that you can copy and play around with your own designs.

COLOR CONFIDENCE FOR QUILTERS ($24.95)
by Jinny Beyer
The Quilt Digest Press, 1992

This is Jinny's color system based on the use of a master palette of fabric colors that span the spectrum. By following the instructions in this book, you create your own master palette that you can use as a tool for color choices for all of your future quilting projects. After creating your own color palette, you will learn how to create countless color schemes just by taking small sections of the palette, or by rearranging portions of it.

This book definitely helps you to gain confidence in choosing colors for your projects.

CONTEMPORARY QUILTS FROM TRADITIONAL DESIGNS ($9.50 used)
by Carolyn L. Mosey
E. P. Dutton Publishers, New York 1988

This book takes a comparative look at the physical changes in the art of quilting through the years. While the overall appearance of quilts has changed, many contemporary quiltmakers keep coming back to traditional patterns. The artists represented in this book share their feelings on the history of quilting, the direction in which it is going and their viewpoints on several quilt-related topics.

Interesting. Provides a traditional quilt on one side of the page and a quilter's contemporary rendition of the same pattern on the other.

COLLECTOR SCRAP QUILTS
(Book II in the Collector Quilt Series)
by Marti Michell
American School of Needlework, San Marcos, CA 1992

Second book in the collector series that features design inspiration from antique quilts. Pretty good instructional book.

COLOR AND CLOTH: THE QUILTMAKER'S ULTIMATE WORKBOOK ($19.95)
by Mary Coyne Penders
The Quilt Digest Press, 1989 >

This is another good "color confidence" book. Underrated, probably because of Jinny Beyer's book.

COLOR DESIGN IN PATCHWORK
by Paula Nadelstern
Dover Publications 1991

Explores how color can be used to vary one and the same patchwork configuration. Depending on the placement of color and the resulting degree of contrast, different shapes in a pieced pattern are emphasized and visually linked. Usually some shapes combine to form the main unit of design, while remaining ones are interpreted as background.

COLORFUL ANGLES (Triangles, Diamonds &Hexagons With a Contemporary Look)
by Susan Stein
EZ International 1993

This book combines the use of applique, traditional blocks, hand dyed fabrics and the EZ tools (EZ Angle, Companion Angle, Easy Eight, Easy Hexagon, Speed grids, trapezoids) to create very contemporary designs. 16 projects. I think this is a good book.

CLUES IN THE CALICO; A Guide to Identifying and Dating Antique Quilts ($39.95)
by Barbara Brackman.
EPM Publications, 1989.

There are black and white and color pictures and examples and descriptions of quilts characteristic of different periods. It is one of the best researched and written quilt books I have encountered, and I have more than 300 books. I put this in the top ten. Libraries and quilt guilds should have it.

Barbara Brackman also writes articles on quilt history for Quilters Newsletter magazine. During the past year or so she has been writing about fabrics and how to date them. I think she has done something on fabrics of the '40s, '50s and later, but I can't locate the issue at the moment.

EAST QUILTS WEST ($24.95)
by Kumiko Sodo

It is wonderful!!! She has many patterns that have instructions for an average to advanced quilter. Her patterns are not, on the most part, for the faint of heart. The best part, is the ideas which spring forth from her many designs. I very, very seldom use a design, even if given permission - I like to make my own designe. Her book is an inspiration. I hate to piece curves, so I have been appliqueing them down on top of the under piece after turning under the edge. This is how she "pieces" her curves. The book is rich in color and in interestingly narrated. Her use of color is wonderful. It is not a cheap book, but I would definitely recommend it.

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF QUILTING TECHNIQUES, THE ($24.95)
by Katherine Guerrier
Running Press, Philadelphia, PA 1994

Excellent book. Colorful. Describes: techniques, block construction (she gives you step by step instructions on how to make some of the more common blocks (with color illustrations of each step) rotary cutting, special effects, applique, quilting, finishing, etc. Toward the back of the book are gorgeous quilts to truly inspire you.

This is a great reference book, great for beginners but can be used by seasoned quilters as well. A must for every quilter's library.

EVERY TRICK IN THE BOOK ($10.00)
by Ami Simms
Mallery Press, Flint, MI 1990

Over 500 tricks, tips, and tidbits for quilters .

EASY MACHINE PAPER PIECING
by Carol Doak
That Patchwork Place

I surrender -- I am a believer. I attended a workshop last night on foundation/paper piecing based on Carol Doak's book "Easy Machine Paper Piecing". It works, by golly, it works. What a treat -- and I can turn out such perfectly precise blocks. It's wonderful. If you haven't tried it, you should -- attending a class really helps because you see how it's done live.

ESSENTIAL QUILTER, THE
by Barbara Chainey ($29 .95)

A wonderful book. It is a complete course in the lost art of hand quilting. It covers everything you might need to know, and the clear photos show you how to hold the needle, etc. The quilts are all Welsh or English, many are "whole-cloth" (all-quilted) quilts with beautiful feathers, scrolls, etc. Very inspirational.

FOLK QUILTS AND HOW TO RECREATE THEM ($14.95)
by Audrey &Douglas Wiss
Sterling/Main Street, NY 1990

This book presents a wide selection of traditional designs for the modern quilter which have been tested over time. They are presented in their original colors and special configurations. Some date back as far as the 18th century; others became popular as late as the 1930s. A few are worked in wool or silk; most are piecd of plain or printed cottons. All were made in America and display a variety of piecing, applique and quilting techniques. I like this collection.

FAST PATCH - A TREASURY OF STRIP QUILT PROJECTS ($17.95)
by Anita Hallock
Chilton Book Co., Radnor, PA 1989

This is a very good book for beginners and everyone else. A new strip technique for making triangles.

Step-by-step instructions. By making a checkerboard and turning it on the bias, you can learn to cut strips of triangles, opening up a whole range of traditional blocks like the Ohio Star and sawtooth borders.

FABULOUS FABRICS OF THE 50s (And Other Terrific Textiles of the 20s, 30s, and 40s)
by Gideon Bosker, John Gramstad, Michele Mancini
Chronicle Books, San Francisco.

This one focuses on drape/upholstry fabrics of those years and is great for the history and wonderful (often weird) color combinations of the fabrics.

FIT TO BE TIED
by Judy Hopkins
That Patchwork Place

There is a whole (wonderful) book of bow tie quilts.

FRIENDSHIP'S OFFERING: Techniques and Inspiration for Writing on Quilts
by Susan McKelvey

Another helpful book for anyone who wants to learn the techniques of writing on quilts.

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