Quilt Books

I divide quilt books into two different categories--books that include quilt patterns with the instructions necessary to make certain quilts and novels that include quilting or quilts in some way. In today's post, I would like to showcase a few of my favorite quilt books in each of these categories.

As I've mentioned in previous posts here and here, one of my favorite quilting methods is paper piecing. Therefore, it makes sense that my favorite quilt book has patterns based on this technique. That book is Little Gems: 15 Paper Pieced Miniature Quilts by Connie Kauffman.

You can see below two of the quilts I made from patterns in this "little gem" of a book. 

Pattern: Forest Fire by Connie Kauffman

Pattern: Spinner by Connie Kauffman, modified by Sharon Katz

Recently, I purchased a small amount of two fabrics that I plan to use in another of these mini paper pieced quilts from Little Gems. I will combine these two fabrics with a couple of other coordinating fabrics for a new miniature quilt.

In the Beginning fabric by Jason Yenter

I have become acquainted with the work of a new-to-me quilt designer, Doug Leko. Doug is a young man who grew up being involved in his mother's quilt shop. He now owns the company, Antler Hill Design. Doug designs stunning quilts in collaboration with Moda fabrics, whose fabrics he showcases in his designs. I am drawn to Leko's patterns, and I now own two of his pattern books, Town Square and Winterlude.

Several of Leko's books feature holiday fabric. I plan to make a holiday quilt from the fabrics shown below, but in the future I will also use some of his patterns with non-holiday fabrics.

Forever Green by Holly Taylor for Moda Fabric

One of my go-to quilt pattern books, Let's Do Lunch by Anderson Designs, features small projects such as a wine tote, placemats, and table runners. I find the patterns in this book to be very accurate with clear instructions and suggestions. 

Here is a sample of a table runner quilt top I made from a  pattern in this book.

Pattern: Toast Points by Anderson Designs

Even though I have other quilt pattern books I enjoy, it's time to move on to works of fiction that include or feature quilting.  I am a regular reader of debbiethisandthat.com, my friend Debbie's blog. In a recent blog post, Debbie introduced her readers to the author, Elizabeth Berg. Upon Debbie's recommendation, I read one of Berg's books, and I'll have to say that I am hooked on Berg's writing. My latest book by Berg, The Art of Mending, includes quilting in a small way as the narrator of the book is a quilter. It was fun to read about quilting from the narrator's point of view, and it was obvious that Berg knows quite a bit about the world of quilting through her apt descriptions of fabrics, quilts, etc. from a quilter's perspective. Berg makes her characters come alive, and she sprinkles what I consider to be gems of wisdom throughout her writing.

Quilting plays a role in The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd, the bestselling author of The Secret Life of Bees (one of my favorite books of all time). A powerful and moving novel, The Invention of Wings is set in early nineteenth century Charleston and is the story of an urban slave and the daughter of a wealthy landowner following their connected journeys for thirty-five years. 

Before closing this blog post, I must mention children's books that feature quilts since I am a believer in the power of children's literature.  You may visit a previous post where I showcased the book, Under the Quilt of Night by Deborah Hopkinson.

I have received no compensation for the mention of books, patterns, fabrics, or designers in this blog post. All opinions are my own.