Quilting Masterclass: Inspirations and Techniques from the Experts

It was pretty hard to read this book since I kept drooling all over the pages. Guerrier has gathered 50 contemporary quilts and their makers. We get a close look, not only at each quilt, but at the reasons why the quilt was made, and some insights into the process. This is not a how-to book. There are no projects with complete directions. Many of the artists do share individual tricks and techniques, some with step by step directions and photos. The quilters were chosen from all over the globe, giving us a chance to expand our horizons culturally as well. One of the best things about the biographies in the back is that they include contact information for each artist. If you are moving away from totally traditional quilting, you will put this book on top of your must-have list.

I recived this book as a Christmas present and wonder how Christmas dinner got cooked! The examples of quilts examined and explained are very wide, from twists on a basic nine patch to contempory "wall art". I live in Trinidad so have no chance to drop into a quiltshop or guild to strech my ideas - this book really shows you a lot of possibilities as the quilters explain where they got their inspiration for their work. It has really encouraged me to strech my design process. I would recommend it to the beginner who wants to see that quilting isn't only Sunbonnet Sue and to the established quilter who wants to strech her/his work.It is still my favororite bedtime read! (Written in May)

Here are some excerpts from my review of this book. You can see the complete review on the Quilter's Review website."Most of the quilting books released each year are how-to books. But occasionally you find a book that digs deeper and inspires the quilt artist in each of us."Quilting Masterclass is just such a book. Katherine Guerrier includes inspirational work from 50 quilt artists she selected for their innovation, their dedication to the advancement of quilting, and their ability to influence other quilters' work."[This] collection of art quilts is like a gallery exhibit in that it fits representative works of each artist into a cohesive theme. But this book also goes beyond a gallery exhibit in several ways...."...Quilting Masterclass is perfect nighttime reading -- food for your subconscious. If you are looking for something to give you the push you need to try art quilting, look to this book for inspiration."

If you have any interest in contemporary or art quilts, this is one of the best books to come out in years, and well worth the price. It has dozens of gorgeous quilts by some of the best quilt artists in the world, beautifully photographed in full color. But what makes this book so special and so different is that each quilt is also accompanied by tips and techniques, giving pointers on exactly how it was made. There are a number of very nice art quilt books out there that showcase the quilts themselves, and a few technique books that focus on a single artist's methods, but this is the first book to combine those two approaches into one treasure-trove. Read this book with notebook and colored pencils in hand--practically every page will give you a new idea for a quilt.