The BeColourful Quilt Collection
Jacqueline de Jonge
AQS: $28.95

Jacqueline de Jonge is an award winning quilter from Delft, in the Netherlands, and her work is known for its vibrant colors. This over-sized book features 54 of Jacqueline’s most striking designs, each shown full size with additional close up detail images. While the quilts are based on traditional designs, they each have a contemporary twist. I found the book inspiring and a feast for the eyes.

Look for this book at your favorite quilt or book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

Color Play: Second Edition
Joen Wolfrom
C&T Publishing; $29.95

As a fan of Joen Wolfrom’s original Color Play, I was excited to hear that she had updated this wonderful resource. This new edition has been completely rewritten and reorganized, and it includes more than 100 new photos. What will you find in this edition? Chapters include historical facts and basic color information; the five most beautiful color plans and their color partners; the importance of value and how to use it; the characteristics of the major color families; a color reference for each of the 24 colors in the Ives Color Wheel; and how-to steps to create depth, luminosity, transparency, shadows and other landscape illusions. Joen’s work is based on the Ives color wheel with primary colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan (turquoise blue), rather than the traditional yellow-red-blue color wheel we learned in elementary school. This shift will make a significant difference in how you develop your color sense in your work. Nature also becomes the key to organize color, with four unique color groups. This is wonderful introduction to color theory to those needing one, and a valuable reference for all creative artists.

You can look for the book at your favorite quilt shop or book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

Beyond Neutral: Quilts Inspired by Nature’s Elements 
John Q. Adams
Martingale; $24.99

For long-time quilters, neutral meant muslin, off-white, cream or white fabric. Maybe you might venture to a light gray. At some point, quilters used black as a background. Neutral did not mean a color. In Beyond Neutral, John Q. Adams created 16 original quilt where he used the colors of nature as his inspiration for his neutral – no cream or white here. He organized his quilts around the themes of wind; earth; water; leaves and grass; and lava, coral, and stone. I loved the movement and freshness of his quilts. Some of my favorites: Canyonlands, inspired by a flock of starlings in flight with a peachy tan as a neutral; Katmai, which had its roots in a traditional block that kept growing; and Pacific Crest, with its image of flying birds on a navy background. You’ll find lots of inspiration in the book and you will look at neutrals differently, whether that is in using John’s patterns or your own creation. 

Impressionist Appliqué
Grace Errea and Meridith Osterfeld
C&T Publishing; $29.95

Grace Errea is known for her “value-based” realistic appliqué work. In this book she, with the help of Meridith Osterfeld, shares her technique for creating her quilts. Her technique is systematized and features lots of color values to get the desired effect. For those unfamiliar with working with color, she offers a primer on its components: hue, saturation and value. She also discusses the basics of line, shape, form and texture in your work. Before working on any of the five projects in the book, Grace has you do exercises to understand the value of your fabrics, including making both a Periodic Table of Value in Color and a Color/Value Fan.

Regardless of the appliqué technique you choose, the exercises in value will enhance your work.

Look for the book at your favorite book retailer. Here’s a link to www.Amazon.com if you would like to learn more about the book.