Liberated Medallion Quilts
Gwen Marston
AQS Publishing; $24.95

Don’t you just love the whole idea of “liberated quilts,” quilts that let you interpret basic concepts in your own personal fashion? This is Gwen Marston’s fourth “Liberated Quilting” book and her 26th book. The quilts in this book came from a retreat she holds each year in northern Michigan. After the 2010 retreat, she was struck with how many of the quilts created over the five sessions were medallion style and that begged for her to write another book. What is interesting is how these modern liberated medallions had much in common with early medallions, e.g., one made by Martha Washington. Gwen offers seven how-to projects to get you started, though you will definitely veer off the path. I love the construction tips she includes to help you solve problems. She even shows how Martha Washington solved her construction problem. If you are interested in keeping your traditional roots, yet becoming liberated, give this a try.

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

Lynn Ann Majidimehr
That Patchwork Place; $27.99

I just loved the look of almost every quilt in this book, with the appliqué on pieced backgrounds. The colors were bright and the designs were out of the ordinary and realistic; the end result is a contemporary look. The book includes 10 projects in sizes ranging from a small wall hanging to lap-sized quilts and a table runner. I’ve never been a fan of paper piecing – it’s the tearing out of the foundation I don’t like. Lynn offers a twist on that with a freezer-paper foundation method that doesn’t require picking out the paper. As for the appliqué she offers two methods: fusible and freezer-paper, glue-basted appliqué. Instructions are clear and include lots of color photos to guide you. I also appreciated the specifics on machine quilting and the close-up shots of the quilting.

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

Best of Fons & Porter
Leisure Arts; $24.95

I love patriotic quilts and have a small red, white and blue star quilt I love to use. While every day is a good day to celebrate our American pride, it’s about six weeks to Memorial Day, the perfect occasion for another patriotic quilt. In this collection from Fon’s and Porter’s Love of Quilting magazine, you’ll find 30 patriotic quilts, wall hangings and table runners. As with all the “Best of” collections, you’ll find “Sew Easy” tips for learning new techniques. The collection includes pieced and appliqué quilts.

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

Decorate Your Shoes
Annemart Berendse
AQS Publishing; $19.95

In 2011 at the AQS show in Paducah, Annmart Berendse got a lot of notice for her shoes. These were not ordinary shoes. What were originally white leather clogs were now filled with patchwork patterns. The attention led to her first book about creating fun, decorated shoes. With 11 different designs, she teaches you how to paint canvas, rubber or vinyl, and leather (man made or natural) shoes. In addition to your shoes as a canvas, other supplies you’ll need include a Sharpie® marker and either fabric or leather paints, as well as some embellishments. Some of the designs include the log cabin, simple patchwork, Mariner’s Compass, and intricate looking feathers. If you want to make a statement head to toe, give this a try.

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

Mastering the Art of Longarm Quilting
Gina Perkes
C&T Publishing; $29.95

You got your longarm, now what? Many books offer lots of quilting designs. Gina Perkes does that, too, but she actually helps you get to the stage where you can use the designs. She starts with step-by-step instructions from finding design inspiration and selecting the appropriate design all the way to blocking and binding the quilt. I loved all the tips throughout the book, e.g., printing a large color photo of your quilt to sketch designs on it, how to build a lightbox, how to use clear tablecloth vinyl to draft border designs, and how to add additional measurements to the leaders to help maintain a square quilt. Since longarm quilters are thread lovers, Gina includes a chapter on choosing and using thread, including troubleshooting. In addition to quilting designs shown throughout the text, she includes 40 original quilting designs. If you are new to your longarm, or more experienced, I think this is a great reference.

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

Simply Triangles
Barbara H. Cline
C&T Publishing; $24.95

Barbara Cline focuses on using the basic triangle to create complex-looking quilts. The 11 quilts she created are divided into three groups and vary by complexity. The first features triangles that make star designs. The second features triangles that turn into daisies. The final section takes the basic triangle, sometimes with a diamond, and creates pinwheel patterns. Because sewing is a family tradition – Barbara’s Mennonite parents purchased a fabric store when she was 10 – she includes life lessons from many of her family members. You’ll find a good variety of Barbara’s sewing and quilting tips throughout.

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

Quilting Modern
Jacquie Gering and Katie Pedersen
Interweave; $26.955

What sets this book apart from others that focus on the modern quilt movement is Jacquie Gehring’s and Katie Pedersen’s emphasis on improvisation. For the authors, improvisation means, “creating in the moment and reacting to ideas and our environment to make something new. Improvisation energizes our creativity and fosters an inventive spirit.” After covering the basics – tools and materials, quilting basics, color and design, and finishing techniques – Jackie and Kate share seven different improvisational techniques. These include free piecing, improvisational log cabin, slice and insert, stitch and flip triangle, strip piecing, modern crazy-piecing and improvisational curves. You have your choice of 22 different quilts and projects, or venture out on your own and improvise!

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

A Bountiful LIfe
Karen Mowry
Kansas City Star Quilts; $27.95

More than 150 years ago, an anonymous quiltmaker designed and appliquéd what is today regarded as one of the masterpieces of American folk art. Bird of Paradise, that quilt top, is now held by the American Folk Art Museum in New York. Folk artist and quilter Karen Mowry has created her own version of the quilt top, and, like the inspiration, it is now in the same museum collection. While the story behind the quilt top is unknown, Karen does offer some speculation as to meaning of the blocks and the top. I enjoyed the small bit of history behind the quilt and its bits of whimsy, e.g., the inclusion of an elephant named Hanible. The book includes full-size patterns for the 20 blocks in the book and the border.

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

Easy Quilts
Best of Fons & Porter
Leisure Arts; $24.95

The subtitle of the book got me: 31 Projects to Make in a Weekend or Less. Who doesn’t want to make a quick quilt that’s attractive? This book features mostly quilts in a variety of styles and size options by 27 designers, so there’s sure to be something for everyone. As with other Best of Fons & Porter books, it’s filled with technique sidebars. What was odd was that the same sidebar on making yo-yos appeared twice in the book. I’m not sure if all the quilts are really completed in a weekend, but you will definitely make good progress in that direction.

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

Utility Quilting
Carolyn Forster
Landauer Publishing; $27.95

With all the interest in longarm quilting, it’s easy to forget lots of quilters are still hand quilting. And those new to quilting may be interested in giving it a try. Carolyn Forster takes the approach that utility quilting is the perfect solution for the modern quilter. Utility quilting uses bigger stitches and thicker thread. It makes the job go faster and the results are bolder. She offers 25 different quilting designs, 12 knots and stitches, and four finishing techniques that can be applied to any of the 11 projects in the book, or used on your own quilts. I liked the section on creating design templates, e.g., Baptist fan, and then how to mark the design on the quilt.

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