Threads - Fabrics - Equipment - Quilt top construction - Ribbon illusions - Sheer stitching - Appliques - Embroidery - Finishing - Blocking a quilt.

The Bee-all and End-all: The complete quilter's companion and essential resource, jam-packed with information, supplies, expert interviews, techniques, community, and inspiration. All the tools of the trade: rotary cutters, sewing machines, longarms, anddesign software; fabulous fabrics and where to find them; and if you're just starting out, everything that belongs in a quilting basket. The online world made manageable with a guide to the most useful blogs, websites, e-mail lists, free patterns, and podcasts. National and regional shows, guilds, and the best retreats and quilt museums. Batting parties, tutorials on fabric dying, and a breezy history of the quilt boom. Profiles of twenty top teachers-including television's Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson, Esterita Austin and her award-winning landscape quilts, and Ruth B. McDowell, known for her bravura technique. This is a book to help every quilter deepen and grow-keep it as close by as your stash of fat quarters -Cover.

Quilts exemplify precious things: comfort through the warmth they provide; community, since they are often created by groups; and love, given the time and effort they require. With this in mind, legions of kindhearted quilters all over the world choose to donate their labors of love to people in need. Ruth McHaney Danner has gathered fifty-four heartwarming stories of quilters who make their compassion tangible one stitch, square, and quilt at a time. Each story introduces a quilter or group of quilters, ranging from a blind woman in Texas to preschoolers in Australia. Their gifts have the power to make recipients feel cherished and supported, even though they may never meet face-to-face. These wonderfully inspiring stories show that every quilter who has ever wondered, “But what can I do?” can do something to reach out and help others.

When it comes to machine quilting, there's a thread for every occasion, and an occasion for every thread. Now you can create dazzling, eye-catching quilts with all of the wonderful colors and textures of today's decorative threads. Eleven easy-to-follow exercises will show you how decorative threads can make your quilts sparkle and pop. Special techniques for quilting both through the needle and from the bobbin of your sewing machine. Convenient charts for determining which threads and needles will work best with your projects. Reliable methods for couching curves, appliqués, and angled shapes. Hints and advice on making adjustments to your sewing machine for optimum results.

If sewing with friends sparks your creative passion, jump-start your next retreat or sew-in with the projects in this well-curated collection. Organize your sewing tools and supplies with nine make-ahead projects; then choose from seven more projects to stitch for fun, alongside your friends. Twelve expert designers share their inspiring ideas for sewists on the go. Make everything from equipment totes, a needle case, crafter's apron, and sewing machine mat to striking quilts, place mats, a pillow, and table runner Enjoy retreat anecdotes and advice from the pattern designers Relax and rejuvenate as you create something fabulous for yourself or your creative friends

Uses a question-and-answer format to address more than two hundred quilting topics and includes step-by-step instructions for tricky techniques.

No-Sew (well, almost!) Art Quilts That YOU Can Create! YES YOU CAN create an art quilt this weekend! Engage your right brain with freewheeling collage techniques. Give your sewing machine a rest: no sewing needed except for quilting and binding. Design as you go - no measuring, no math! You can even fuse your way to finishing, binding, and displaying your art! PLUS find fun, no-quilt fabric collage projects. Eye-popping gallery of quilts by Caryl Bryer Fallert, Jane A. Sassaman, David Walker, and MORE.

Create Fabulous Bags with Simple Techniques Distinctive handbags and totes have long been a passion of renowned designer Linda McGehee. In Simple Sensational Bags, Linda shares her secrets for making and embellishing dozens of innovative new designs without spending hours at the sewing machine. Linda's cleverly embellished creations incorporate many popular techniques including decorative stitching, piecing, applique and trims, pockets, piping, and more. With her easy, friendly style, Linda teaches the basics of bag construction, straps, pockets, and decorative embellishment. The book showcases dozens of extraordinary bags. Projects include a zipper cosmetic bag, lingerie and sweater bag, shoe tote, and a variety of handbags. • Simple techniques to transform plain bags into spectacular works of art • Easy-to-follow instructions for making and decorating bags • Detailed discussions of straps, pockets, and finishing touches

"This comprehensive handbook covers all the fundamentals of dyeing and coloring fabric with MX fabric-reactive dyes and with textile paints"--Cover.