Designed with both the hand and the machine quilter in mind, this thorough look at ways to paint, bead, trim, and stitch embellishments onto finished quilts brings together diverse media for the experienced quilter. Modern as well as time-honored materials are used to create new works of fabric art. Hundreds of ideas are presented, using techniques including paint and paint sticks, burnishing, beads and buttons, ribbons, tassels, and embroidery. Prep steps for all methods and post-project care are also covered. An "Idea Gallery" at the end of each chapter is not prescriptive - the projects are jumping-off places for quilters looking to add color, texture, and pizzazz to their repertoire. The emphasis is on creativity, making the book an enduring source of future inspiration.

World-renowned quilter Nancy Crow's work is presented for a general audience for the first time in this volume. Divided into nine major quilt series, the book shows not only the diversity and dynamism of Crow's work, but also many of the artifacts and places that inspired her. With excerpts from her journals and sketch books combined with side panels that track important events in her life, this book also gives insight into how Crow's thinking and art evolved after major events in her life. Many of the featured quilts have never before been photographed.

Combine two great traditions - sashiko and Japanese family crests - in beautiful quilts. Learn new techniques for making perfectly spaced stitches in wonderfully intricate patterns. Stitch 10 projects including a sampler, a wall hanging, and a table runner. Quilt as you go; then join blocks the reversible-quilt way for stunning, stress-free results. Gorgeous machine-stitched appliqué designs add new dimension to sashiko quilts.

Your quilts will gain an air of mystery with Katie's innovative 3-step technique for adding layers of visual interest to representational quilts. Simple steps will take your quilts to a new artful level!
Katie walks you through making a simple block using her 3 steps (Blocks are constructed using raw-edge or turned-edge applique):

• Make a design based on a photo or drawing
• Add a "ghost" layer that is lighter or darker than the base blocks colors
• Create a color wash that allows use of even more colors in the quilt

Includes "Katie's Seven Step Program" for choosing perfect fabric combinations. Full-color photos of incredible quilts by Katie and her students will inspire you to let the magic begin!

Combining a special fabric with a few easy nine-patches yields captivating quilts ranging from sassy to sophisticated. You'll get hooked on this technique! Judy provides sixteen different layouts for unlimited project potential.

Subtitled "Improve Any Quilt with Easy-to-Follow Lessons"

• Quick no-sew design exercises to make your talents shine
• Build a color wheel from fabric to learn color principles
• Discover the easy "Nine-Patches" of color and composition

Join Ruth McDowell on her journey from inspiration to finished quilt!

Learn how to combine patterned fabrics into a colorful pieced surface, plan borders, choose colors, and make quilting and design decisions. Ruth shares her insights into the thought and design process, from inspiration to final stitch. You needn't be an "art quilter" to put her lessons to work.

Circles are HOT! Use them to design fun, easy quilts that will stretch your creativity as you learn about choosing fabric for maximum impact. Simple, fun process to create beautiful and dramatic quilts.

Experiment with value to create movement in your designs. Learn to integrate circular design details with your background fabrics. Create more quilts, each with a unique look, using fabric from the first project.

Eleven new projects from a Canadian designer! The new patterns and techniques allow you to make quick and easy reversible quilts.

Create an exciting design on the front and a completely different design on the back of quilts with all-new patterns and expanded techniques. Make twice the quilt in half the time with these 11 projects that are quilted at the same time they are pieced.

Try fusible appliqué, hexagon shapes, and even a table runner that you can complete in an afternoon. Join blocks with simple sahing strips or with pieced sashing for an even more interesting look.

Use only squares and rectangles - no diamond shapes and no set-in seams! Nancy Johnson-Srebro brings her magic to star blocks! Easy, accurate piecing is just a few steps away with Nancy's super-easy methods. Quilt Maps® help you design one-of-a-kind settings for your blocks.

30 star blocks and 10 Quilt Maps® come together to create unlimited possibilities. Learn to chain piece Diamond-Free® 8-point stars, Lone Stars, and more from squares and rectangles. Easy rotary cutting, piecing, and pressing techniques guarantee:

• Perfect star points
• No dog ears
• No Y-seams
• Accurate matching of seams
• Blocks lie flat and square

Just as gardeners create an artful garden by scattering seeds, you can stitch a quilted masterpiece with lush floral fabrics. Fussy-cut motifs provide the "seeds" needed to create quilts that burst with nature's charm.

Discover how to use large-scale fabrics in ten flowering quilt patterns. Spotlight roses, tulips, and wildflowers-these blocks will let your fabrics take center stage. Learn how to get the most out of each fabric bloom with a special "Garden Map" for each project.

Appliqué your way to stunning Art Glass quilts! Julie Hirota is known for her colorful, contemporary art-glass-style quilts. Now she shares the secrets of her Subtractive Appliqué™ technique so you can create your own beautiful version of Art Glass quilts!

Learn Julie's innovative Subtractive Appliqué™ technique for adding colorful fabric patches as you "subtract" from the outline of your design. Four original Art Glass projects allow you to practice the techniques OR design your own Art Glass quilts - Julie teaches you how! Detailed lessons on color, design, balance, and borders. Easy machine construction - no handwork involved.

Linda Johansen takes her popular fabric-bowl technique a step further with fabric boxes, and you will not believe how fast, fun, and easy they are to make!

Thirteen beautiful projects for Square Boxes, To-Go Boxes, Treasure Chests, Recipe Boxes, and more, all with lids included. Eight basic box designs offer unlimited options for creating your own variations. Each box is unique - choose theme fabrics, hand-dyes, or whatever catches your eye, and embellish to suit your style. Make your own quick gifts or gift boxes!

Quilt shops and quilters love fat quarters! Many shops package groups of fat quarters together by theme and in complementary colors, making them quite attractive to buy, give, and trade. But what do you do with them?

The authors' answer is a collection of delightful, traditional quilt patterns, all made from fat quarters. Quilters love fat quarters because they provide a lot of variety at an economical price. Quilt shops love fat quarters because they are great for promotional purposes and they sell fabrics.

'Affairs of the Heart' is a quilt with 36 appliquéd blocks on a black background, each integrating a heart motif in some manner. The blocks are intricate in appearance, yet easy enough to be tackled by novices with basic appliqué skills.

Even the experts will find themselves engaged in the delicacy of the exquisite design elements and the vividness of the florals, influenced by the author's Burmese background. Aie (pronounced a) adds scrolls and scallops to her borders. The blocks are a manageable size, so each one can be completed within a single sitting.

While the author made the quilt by hand with the needle-turn method, the designs lend themselves to other appliqué methods and could easily be done by machine. Using a variety of fabrics and thread colors gives depth to the design and adds to the vibrancy of the quilt. The author used printed border fabric but includes directions for achieving the same effect with appliqué.

Debby shows how the ebony connection communicates drama and rich texture, features ordinary items in unusual settings, and stimulates the eye by presenting the unexpected. No wonder black has been used successfully by quilters as far back as we have samples of surviving quilts!

This book is dedicated to the premise that some of the traditional patterns can be sewn in quicker, more streamlined methods. Debby's innovative projects include a quick appliqui method that bypasses the use of freezer paper and a technique for using coffee filters for curved blocks. She proclaims the wonder of math with easy formulas for making any block with squares, triangles, and rectangles.