Quilted Memories: Celebrations of Life

I love applique, and this is a really fun book. The quilts showcased just make you smile. I am working my way to making some quilts based on the antics of my cat, Edsel, and this book is a real help. It shows you how to relax and just go with your creative impulses.

If you love to quilt and want to stretch your imagination, or would like to quilt and need a "can't do it wrong" first project, this book is for you! This is one of the most colorful and whimsical quilt books I have ever seen! Every page is a delight to the senses and stirs the imagination. Mary Lou encourages you to get in touch with your creative side and cheers you on from start to finish. From choosing your quilt's theme and background fabric, to applique and piecing techniques, to finishing and embellishments, this book is full of the information and inspiration you need to make your own masterpiece. Create a memory quilt - You can do it easily with the guidelines in this book.

This book is fantastic. If you need inspiration, ideas, or just a chuckle, this is the book for you.

This book is one of the most inspirational books on quilting I've read. Mary's approach to applique is inspirational and has gotten my creative juices flowing. I own both this book and "Whimsies & Whynots" by Mary Lou Weidman - in Whimsies & Whynots there are more large quilt examples to look at, while Quilted Memories has more smaller projects. Both have tons of beautiful examples of Mary's applique quilts, but if I had to choose between the two I'd pick Whimsies & Whynots because there seem to be more quilts in it.But, this is still a 5-star book, well worth your money.

Others have written books with this same premise. No one has done it better. Mary Lou approaches her free form quilts with energy, imagination and an art background. She shares with the reader thoughts on creativity, suggestions for themes and ideas and the personal stories behind her quilts. I found the entire book captivating and fun to read. Her method is clear and sets just enough structural boundaries so the neophyte will not feel overwhelmed. Practice projects will help you to warm up.