The Quilter's Album of Blocks and Borders: More than 750 Geometric Designs Illustrated and Categorized for Easy Identification and Drafting

This book has a large number of geometric blocks, both the old patterns and new (to 1986) ones, with a bit of quilting history. If you're uncomfortable with math, though, it can be intimidating, since she includes no measurements and the drawings are only a couple inches wide. It might help to also get your hands on her quilting by hand book, which explains the math involved better. But, so long as that challenge interests you, this book is well worth its price.

I've been quilting for over ten years now, and have run into only two books that were so comprehensive for referencing quilt patterns and name. One was 101 Patchwork Quilt Patterns by Ruby McKim, and The Quilter's Album of Blocks and Borders by Jinny Beyer. I especially like Jinny Beyer's book because the blocks are separated by their basic grids, like nine-patch, four patch, etc.. The book also came with a plastic template to overlay on other patterns to determine their basic grids. I don't know if the softcover versions of this book come with that, as I've only seen the hardback version. All of the patches are listed by by the name and date they first appeared. Most also have other, folk names listed for them, so if you're looking for a specific block, look for it in the index by the name you know it by. I would highly recommend this book for the quilter who enjoys making traditional quilt blocks, as I do.

The first was Ruby McKim's.I made a lot of single blocks out of this book, I think friends still have denim--lots of variations on indigo--pillows made at the time.I learned how to analyze a block, draft the pattern.This book won't help you with the nuts and bolts of sewing. It won't help you visualize a whole quilt. But I expect that this book still holds up as a block book. Everyone needs at least one. After I worked with it for a while I forever lost my shyness about drafting patterns in almost any size, three inches to 25.

This is a book for the beginner as well as the advanced quilter. It's a wonderful reference book on quilt blocks. Use it as a springboard for designing a contemporary quilt or for creating your own heirloom.