Always wanted to design a quilt of your very own but didn’t know where to start?

Design Explorations for the Creative Quilter by Katie Pasquini Masopust provides you with ten innovative approaches to designing art quilts.

From beginner to advanced, the explorations will help you create a design and then turn the design into a pattern. The best part is you can apply these techniques to your own personal style of quilting which is a great way to explore innovative new concepts.

A great book and highly recommended.

Update: The Fabulous Free Motion Quilting workshop is now available on dvd.

Machine Quilting Made Easy by Maurine Noble.

Although this book was originally published in 1994, this is still one of the best books for beginning quilters. The techniques for machine quilting have not changed over the years and this book addresses the fundamentals for both free motion quilting and quilting with a walking foot. Including practical exercises, needle and thread charts, and lots of pictures and good advice, you will be machine quilting with confidence in a very short time.

Machine Quilting With Decorative Threads by Maurine Noble and Elizabeth Hendricks continues the series. As with the first book, this one also includes exercises, lots of creative techniques and some good basic information for dealing with beautiful, but often unruly, decorative threads including metallic, perl and bobbin work threads, as well as couching.

I was visiting the book store over the weekend and came across a wonderful new magazine for art quilters.

“Art Quilting Studio” is a new quarterly magazine from Stampington & Company – those people who bring you beautiful magazines full of inspiration, so you know this magazine is gonna be great! And it is!

So run to the nearest bookstore and grab a copy – I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!

Art Quilting Studio will provide a playful and informative forum where quilt enthusiasts from all walks of life can cross-pollinate to share techniques, ideas and inspiration. Whether you quilt by hand or machine, with fabrics or paper, we hope you’ll join us on this journey where everyone is invited to share in the joy of quilting.

Visit Stampington & Co for additional details.

I’m often asked what are good quilting books for beginners, and I do have a few, but for beginners and beyond, you’ll find All About Machine Arts to be a terrific reference book.

From “Mastering Machines” to “Beading” to “Shisha Mirrors”, plus lots of information for machine embroiderers, this book has something for everyone; I highly recommend it.

Everything you ever wanted to know about quilting!

You’ve hit the jackpot with this quilter’s ultimate answer book. From A to Z you’ll find combined wisdom from a star-studded cast of 60 expert quilters. Lavishly illustrated, this fun “look-and-learn” reference book covers every aspect of quiltmaking:

* Basic quiltmaking techniques
* Hard-to-find information on specialized techniques
* Reviews of tolls and supplies
* Basic quilt types explained and illustrated
* Definitions of terms every quiltmaker should know
* Creativity and inspiration

Edges And Finishes In Machine Embroidery by Valerie Campbell-Harding is one of my very favorite books.

The illustrations are both beautiful and inspirational and the book includes some great finishing techniques, particularly if you love working with free motion embroidery.

• A library of possibilities edgings and finishings, from simple stitched edges through burnt and melted fabric edges to fringes, braids and tassels
• Written by best-selling author on machine embroidery
• Over 100 stunning photographs, with clear step-by-step instruction
• Each edging or finishing method is covered in a double-page spread
• Any modern sewing machine can be used to create the stunning samples
• Designs for all hangings, panels, book covers, bags, vessels, bowls, cushions, belts, tassels and other accessories.

I stumbled across this book the other day – Crazy Felt – Using Water Soluble Stabiliser

Learn how to make a great selection of beautiful garments and accessories including chic scarves, stylish bags, stunning belts and embellished shawls.

* Simple feltmaking and machine-stitching techniques
* Step-by-step photographs and 15 fantastic projects
* There’s something for everyone!

Not really a new technique – but Woo Hoo! what beautiful designs. Certainly worth going out of your way to find a copy if you love the felted look.

Fusing Fabric

by Margaret Beal

Discover one of the most innovative techniques in textile art: cutting, fusing and marking fabrics with the soldering iron to create stunning effects.

It’s the latest and hottest idea in embroidery today, expanding the reach of textile art: the use of a soldering iron to cut, bond, and etch fabric. And Margaret Beal is the pioneer of the practice. For the first time, she gathers her expertise in book form, with photographs showing finished pieces and diagrams and drawings illustrating the process.

All the principal techniques are thoroughly explained, from choosing and cutting fabric to using three-dimensional materials. Appliqué, reverse appliqué, shadow work, piercing, weaving, and bead making all receive in-depth coverage.

Life Is a Verb: 37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally

The author of “Life is a Verb”, Patti Digh, is without doubt a story teller.

This is a wonderful book full of short easy to read essays that hold thoughtful meaning and provide a basis for further self-exploration. Her stories are quirky and thought-provoking; some tearful; some beautiful; some simply touching.

Additional Reviews
“I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: I adore Patti Digh’s book Life is a Verb: 37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally. I love her writing, her depth, her sizzle. This is a book that makes me sing with life and the possibilities we all have for transformation and awareness. It is the best antidote I’ve got these days for the pain and fear raging around us–that and loving hugs, long naps, fervent prayer and letting myself feel whatever I’m feeling.”–Jennifer Louden, author of The Woman’s Comfort Book

An Excerpt:
Polish Your Mud Balls
The book Art and Fear brings us the story of a pottery teacher who tells half his class they’ll be graded solely on the quantity of the work they produce. He’ll even use a scale to weigh their output and determine their grade. Fifty pounds of pots would rate an A, for example. The other half would be graded on quality and need only produce one pot – a perfect one – to get an A.

“The works of highest quality,” the authors reported, “were all produced by the group being graded for quantity … while they were busy churning out pile of work – and learning from their mistakes – the quality group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and pile of dead clay.”

Which group do you belong to ?

Stitch Magic: Ideas and Interpretation

By Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn

Stitch Magic is an animated celebration of the magic of hand stitching by two internationally renowned embroiderers. Using the wide range of fabrics, threads and materials now available, Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn give aspiring and knowledgeable embroiderers alike the inspiration to experiment with the basic hand stitches to create infinite stitch interpretations. Over 100 sumptuous photographs of stitched pieces introduce a breathtaking range of new work by the authors as well as stitching from different cultures and a selection of other contemporary work. These examples are accompanied by detailed captions explaining the working methods. Complete with stitch diagrams showing the different design applications of the stitches and a comprehensive glossary, this is a colourful sourcebook of ideas for embroiderers wanting to exploit the compelling texture of stitch.

In Taking Flight, you’ll find overflowing inspiration–complete with a kindred spirit in author and mixed-media artist Kelly Rae Roberts. Join her on a fearless journey into the heart of creativity as you test your wings and learn to find the sacred in the ordinary, honor your memories, speak your truth and wrap yourself in the arms of community.

Along the way you’ll be inspired by:

* Step-by-step techniques–learn the most-loved mixed-media methods of the author and seven talented contributing artists, and combine them in fresh and unexpected ways.
* Thought-provoking prompts and quotes–along with encouraging stories, insights and gentle guidance for finding your bliss, whatever your art or craft.
* Plenty of eye candy–pages and pages of the author’s endearing artwork, along with the varied works of the contributors.

Of course, learning to fly isn’t entirely a step-by-step process–sooner or later, you just need to take a deep breath and spread your wings. With Taking Flight as your guide, there’s no doubt that when you do, your creativity will soar.