Making Welsh Quilts

Welsh quilts, with their characteristic fabric choice, strikingly simple patchwork designs and decorative quilting patterns, have a rich tradition that some believe may have inspired the Amish when they first settled near Welsh communities in Pensylvania.This book explores the fascinating history of Welsh quilting with a stunning gallery of photographs of Wales' quilt treasures.It presents techniques, which range from traditional hand piecing and hand quilting methods to modern rotary cutting and machine quilting techniques.In-depth information is given on selecting the right fabrics and colours, and basic equipment needed to create these quilts.A pattern library of traditional Welsh quilting templates shows how the patterns were originally drafted from cups and saucers and other everyday household items.

This new, expanded edition of 'Welsh Quilts' is an authoritative guide to the history and art of the quilt in Wales. Expert author Jen Jones has added many new, high quality colour images - some never seen before - and four patterns for practitioners to work from.

Amish quilts always excite interest and admiration but 'Amish Quilts and the Welsh Connection' presents a new perspective on this very special group of American quilts. In comparing the acknowledged visual similarities between Amish quilts and lesser-known Welsh quilts, the author considers how these visual connections could have come about, and whether the Welsh quilt-making style could have influenced the early development of Amish quilts. Author Dorothy Osler presents a carefully argued case for cross-over in design style to Amish quilts from equally dramatic Welsh quilts when Welsh immigrants settled close to Amish communities in nineteenth-century America.

Triangles, hexagons, diamonds, and more! Learn to measure, rotary cut, and machine piece 60° shapes with ease. Sew 15 interesting angular quilts with no templates, no y-seams, and no paper piecing! Any 60° triangle ruler or straight ruler with a 60° mark works with these patterns. Arrange blocks in straight rows or kaleidoscope layouts for wildly different looks. After learning triangle grid basics, you’ll be able to design your own angled blocks and quilts.

Literary works honoring the role of women and quilting in history—from Harriet Beecher Stowe, Joyce Carol Oates, Alice Walker, Sharyn McCrumb, and others. This collection of stories, plays, poems, and songs featuring the making of quilts—written from 1845 to the present, mainly by American women—documents women’s literary history. Featuring the work of Bobbie Ann Mason, Joyce Carol Oates, Alice Walker, Sharyn McCrumb, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Marge Piercy, Adrienne Rich, and many others, Quilt Stories is a colorful literary album of stories, poems, and plays that celebrate quilting as a pattern in women’s history. These stories—grouped under the themes of memory, courtship, struggle, mystery, and wisdom—reflect the importance of quilting in the lives of American women, not only as a practical craft and a creative outlet, but also as an integral part of the social community. “The 28 works included in Quilt Stories restore to women a part of their history and their sense of community, an important service in a present time in which quilting has perhaps become a more private and individual art, though it still serves widely as a medium for social exchange and cooperative endeavor.” —Appalachian Quarterly “Macheski has pieced together a variety of literary fabrics into a unique design which represents women’s struggle for identity in a masculine world.” —Benton, Arkansas Courier “Each writing shares a glimpse of what quilting means to those people who practice the art and how it helps us to see, remember, learn, know and express our feelings.” —Quilt World “An innovative approach to writing the history of women.” —Northwest Ohio Quarterly

No patterns here, but definitely a plan! Explore the freeing power of improvised piecing with Nicholas Ball in his first book, Inspiring Improv. Learn his step-by-step technique-based process to explore six fundamental piecing structures. Practice how to stitch fabric together in an improvisational manner to create blocks or sections before using them to sew unique quilts all your own. Improv piecing doesn't have to mean chaotic end results. Look to the eight original projects included to see how to create sophisticated quilts with structure focusing on repeating blocks or large-scale scrappy designs. Follow along as Nicholas walks you through his original inspiration and follow his plan through to finished pieces, as he discusses which combination of his core piecing methods he used, and how to achieve showstopping, exciting work. From simple strip piecing through to complex circles and rings, you will be eager to experiment with making slabs, gentle curves, insets, triangles and even 9-patch and Log Cabin stacks. In no time, you'll be using them as a stepping stone to sewing original full-sized improvisational designs.

Quick and Modern Quilts, Easy as 1-2-3! Selecting fabrics and making great quilts has never been easier! In 3-Fabric Quilts, Leni Levenson Wiener gives you the tools to make twelve fantastic quilts that each require only three fabrics. With each quilt composed of geometric squares, rectangles and strips, cutting and piecing has never been so fast and simple. Inside, you'll find: • Advice on choosing the three fabrics, including tips on understanding color, value and print scale, making fabric shopping easier than ever. • Illustrated instructions for twelve 3-fabric quilts, each with yardage requirements and instructions for a small and large size. • A unique quilting template for each project, specifically designed for the quilt. • Basic rotary cutting, piecing and finishing instructions. • Fun, fresh, contemporary fabrics, layouts and patterns, perfect for gifts or to decorate your own home! No need to stress about choosing lots of coordinating fabrics. With a few simple tricks and tips, choose just three fabrics and one of 12 fabulous designs and you'll be on your way to a gorgeous finished quilt!

For crafters “looking for patterns based on ethnic designs, modern quilters who love blocks with asymmetry and anyone who loves bright, exciting quilts!” (Sleeping Dog Quilts) Bold, vibrant, striking—and amazingly easy to make! This collection of 15 modern quilts draws on handmade crafts from India, the American South, and Africa to create a style that’s at once traditional and contemporary, artistic and practical. A simple stack, cut, shuffle, and stitch technique makes the sewing fun for quilters of any level, and also makes every quilt a one-of-a-kind creation. No two are ever alike! The author provides alternate settings, plus an inspiring photo gallery of the crafts that shaped her style. Use these projects to enrich your quilting by bringing in textures, patterns, and colors from around the world. “An inspired designer . . . The 15 free form block projects featured in this book are a celebration of this ‘melting pot,’ and brim with ideas. The book is accompanied, refreshingly, with photographs illustrating some of the inspirations and stories behind the projects, and it’s a pleasure to see how Sujata has translated them into works of quilted excellence.” —Popular Patchwork “A graphic designer and quilter, she finds inspiration all over the world—in the quilts from Gee’s Bend, the Indian godharis and the bold, colorful fabrics from Africa . . . A colorful and inspiring book. Highly recommended!” —Down Under Quilts Magazine “Sujata Shah takes a different look at traditional blocks and adds her interpretation with 15 simple and fun free-form block projects.” —McCall’s Quick Quilt