Bargello Quilts in Motion
Ruth Ann Berry
C&T Publishing; $19.95

I love when older techniques are revived and refreshed, and that is the case with the Bargello quilt. I remember making my first one and marveling at how much easier it was than it looked. That quilt hangs in my cousin’s home today. Ruth Ann Berry looked at ways that she could separate the moving parts in the design from the static background. She came up with four different solutions to do this: what she calls a scribble on a solid background; a scribble on a background of busy prints; the scribble and background made from different, contrasting color runs; and a solid-color splash across a series of plaids or a background of stripes. I never would have thought of plaids years past. I loved the energy that the quilts reflect. In addition to the eight patterns she includes, Ruth Ann also teaches you how to draft your own original design on graph paper. Our partners – write my essay for cheap. the best student papers, essays, coursework and diplomas. We are trusted by thousands of students. We are recommended and respected!

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

Uncommonly Courdudoy
Stephanie Dunphy
Martingale; $27.99

Many of us think of using something besides quilting cottons in our work, but have you thought about corduroy? I hadn’t, so I was surprised when this book crossed my desk. After all, we mix cotton and wool, or heavier decorator weights with dressmaker weight, so why not corduroy? Stephanie Dunphy includes 17 different projects ranging from bags and a scarf to quilts in varying sizes. The projects use corduroy alone or combines it with quilting cottons, cotton flannels, or wool. I loved the polka dotted corduroy.

All-in-One Quilters Reference Tool 
Harriet Hargrave, Sharyn Craig, Alex Anderson, Liz Aneloski
C&T Publishing; $17.95

This handy guide to all measurements quilting has been updated with 40% more information. It’s filled with easy-to-follow charts, tables and illustrations to help you figure out yardage requirements or cutting instructions. Also includes cutting and piecing instructions. New is the addition of requirements for 20 popular traditional blocks. The book is also available as an ebook. This would make a great purchase to have on your ipad or phone for easy access at the quilt shop.

Simple Circles and Quick Curves
Nancy Mahoney
Martingale; $24.99

Do you want to make a quilt filed with curved pieces only you feel intimated at the thought of the piecing. Nancy Mahoney offers you a different solution. Using her starch appliqué method with heat-resistant plastic templates and a small blanket stitch on your sewing machine, you can get the effect you desire. After teaching you the technique, Nancy lets you put your skills to the test in eight quilts.

Stacked & Stitched
Christine Morgan
AQS Publishing; $21.95

Using a layered and slashed technique similar to faux chenille, Christine Morgan creates “pelts,” five to seven layered fabrics stacked, sewn and cut on the bias in parallel rows and then slashed and washed. The pelts can now be cut into shapes using templates or rulers and reconstructed into pillows, decorative items, or art pieces. The book includes complete instructions for making the “pelts” and four projects. You really have endless possibilities to create with this technique.

Tending the Garden
Barb Adams and Alma Allen
Kansas City Star Quilts; $27.95

If you love large floral appliqué, you won’t be disappointed with the lastest book from Barb Adams and Alma Allen of Blackbird Designs. The featured quilt includes nine different 28″ blocks and is shown in three distinct colorways and finishes. In addition to this quilt, you’ll find nine additional projects, including hooked rugs, cross-stitch pieces and quilts.

Creating Celebration Quilts
Cyndi Souder
Schiffer Publishing; $19.99

I think we’ve all made celebration quilts, whether that’s to celebrate a new baby or to celebrate someone’s life after it ends. Cyndi Souder has taken the concept of a celebration quilt and provided you with a blueprint to create your own individual quilt. I love the idea of the worksheet she starts with. So often we know we are making a quilt to celebrate something, only we don’t spend the time to really evaluate its purpose, the mechanics and the design. She gives you 10 broad questions plus other questions based on the answer you choose. By writing them down on the worksheet, you are getting clear on your project and setting yourself up for success. To get started, she walks you through the process of making five of her celebration quilts. Reading how she made her decisions was fascinating and will be valuable as you approach your celebration quilt. Actually, it is valuable for any quilts that you make. All quilters need knowledge and techniques in their toolbox as they work. Cyndi devotes one section of the book to this, including topics such as taming difficult fabrics and using photographs. I particularly liked her discussion on what she terms QuiltWriting, a technique of stitching words on the quilt with free-form machine quilting. The book also includes a gallery of 34 quilts.

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.

Fabulous Feathers & Fillers
Sue Nickels
American Quilter’s Society
$24.95

Award-winning quilter Sue Nickels is known for her outstanding domestic machine quilting and has been teaching machine techniques for more than 22 years. Her goal in Feathers & Fillers is to teach you her technique for creating a shaded wholecloth feather-type motif in any size, shape or style that suits you. She shares all the supplies you need along with her experiences using them. I appreciated her discussion of the sewing room along with pictures of herself quilting, so I could see how she manages the quilt. The conversational tone of the book was great and you felt like you were with her in her studio as she explained how to accomplish what she had. The overwhelming majority of the book focuses on technique so you can really learn. This is followed with nine projects of wholecloth feather designs to use your new found skills. If feathers are your thing, or you want to learn feathers, this is a great resource.

Simply Sensational Square-agonals® Quilts
Sandi Blackwell
Landauer; $24.95

If you missed Sandi Blackwell’s earlier book, here’s your chance to learn her easy technique for creating quilts with a diagonal setting without adding setting and corner triangles. She uses a mathematical concept known as “dissection.” When creating your blocks you just cut, rotate and reassemble. In the introduction, Sandi explains the math to you, only it’s not necessary to know as she points out. She provides directions for constructing 12 quilts, which are not on the diagonal, and then she shows you how to make two cuts, rearrange the pieces and then sew them back together to create the diagonal set. The instructions are clear, and if you or your students get thrown by creating setting triangles, give this technique 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.

Happy Endings
Mimi Dietrich
Martingale; $24.95

Twenty-five years, a quarter of a century – that’s a long time for a quilt book to be in print and remain of value. Now re-released, Happy Endings is a terrific resource in your quilting library. Mimi Dietrich covers what to do with your quilt once the top is done, beginning with adding borders, preparing a backing, basting the quilt sandwich, and finally the actual finishing of your quilt. Not all quilts use a binding, so she teaches you how to finish without a binding, whether that is using an envelope-edge technique or using the backing to finish the quilt. I like some of the special techniques, e.g., using striped fabrics and creating scrappy bindings, adding prairie points or covered cording. And, a quilt is not finished until you add the label and a hanging sleeve, so that’s included, too. A valuable reference for all quilters.

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