Quilt Blocks From Around the World
Debra Gabel
C&T Publishing; $21.95

Following up on the success of her first book, Quilt Blocks Across America, Debra takes you on a world tour, well, at least to 50 international cities. The finished six-inch square blocks can be used in a variety of applications, from small wall hangings to a sampler quilt of your travels. The book includes a CD so you can enlarge all the patterns, and almost all the gallery pieces are made at a large size. In fact Debra recommends enlarging 200%. You’ll also learn Debra’s Translucent Patterning technique that allows you to trace each piece and see color, positioning and overlap in one block.

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.

Hexa-go-go
Tacha Bruecher
Stash Books; $23.95

Everything old is new again, and English paper piecing is seeing a resurgence. I love author, Tacha Bruecher’s take on it. She says, “Hexagons are so wonderfully portable – quilting’s answer to knitting! She starts you off with with detailed instructions on creating your paper templates, making the hexagons, and hand stitching them together. Once you’ve got the basics and a stack of hexagons, you’re ready to make any of the projects in the book. She offers you 18 projects ranging from a lovely rosette needle book to full-sized quilts. The projects are fun and I especially liked the “Stars and Stripes Quilt,” perfect for celebrating American holidays. If you decide to give hexagons a whirl, watch out. I hear they are addictive.

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.

Appliqué & Embroidery Fundamentals
Janice Vaine
Landauer Publishing; $27.95

With 45 years of sewing and needlework experience, Jan Vaine starts you in the classroom where she teaches you her Perfect Placement Appliqué method followed by lessons on the appliqué stitch, reverse appliqué and a variety of stitches. The instructions are complete and the illustrations are very large, a plus. The bulk of the book includes the letters of the alphabet each encircled by a floral wreath. Jan’s goal is for you to learn new embroidery and embellishment techniques as you work your way through the alphabet. She then offers 18 additional stitches and six additional projects for using the skills you’ve learned. I appreciated the supplies shopping list at the beginning of the book, too.

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.

Exploring Dimensional Quilt Art
C. June Barnes
Interweave; $26.95

Since I talked about challenging your thinking, that’s what June Barnes does in this book. Most quilt art is two-dimensional. She urges you to create more dimension in your work. Some of what you’ll learn are folding techniques, stacking, curling, pleating and gathering. She includes some fascinating quilted pieces. I can’t call them quilts, because they are not flat. These include crescent-shaped pieces, prisms, cylinders and orbs. The book includes a gallery of work by fellow British quilters and textile artists. June attributes the increase in dimensional work by quilt artists to the introduction of categories such as that of Quilt Creations at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham. She also includes a section on finding inspiration and a list of verb command prompts, such as squash it, make it obvious and be unrealistic. A great reference for expanding your art.

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.

We Love Color
Susanne Woods, compiler.
Stash Books; $23.95

When was the last time you made a quilt without any prints or textured fabrics? For most of us, it could be hard to remember. We have such an outstanding selection of prints on the market. For those who are fans of solids, Kona Cotton Solids from Robert Kaufman Co. make up the mainstay in this category with more than 200 colors. This book features 16 quilts created by 16 designers known for their original style and use of color. You’ll find both traditional and contemporary quilts, and you’ll also pick up a few new techniques for your tool box. A bonus is a color index to the Kona Cotton Solids featured in the book.

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.

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.

Art Quilt Portfolio: The Natural World
Martha Sielman
Sterling Publishing; $24.95

The first in a series, Art Quilt Portfolio: The Natural World showcases art quilts inspired by nature: flowers, water, birds, animals, leaves, insects, trees and texture. More than 450 artists submitted nearly 1,200 works for consideration in this volume. The book includes the work of more than 70 artists, as well as an in-depth look at 19 featured artists and their work in a diversity of techniques. The featured artists offer essays about their creative process. I always find the personal stories offering a glimpse into the artists and their passions fascinating to read. The book is a visual delight and a wonderful read. I look forward to the next book in the series.

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.

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.