Inspiration to Art Quilting
The books and tutorials that inspired my quilting style.
8/1/20261 min read
One of the most common questions I get when people see my work is, "Where did you learn to do that?"
The simple answer is from the National Quilt Museum's Block of the Month (see past and current patterns here: https://quiltmuseum.org/botm/botm-patterns/). That was my introduction to different techniques and methods of creating quilts. In particular, I felt most drawn to Ann Brauer's tutorial in July 2021 (see link above). From there I started following her blog and works as well as reading as much about art quilting as I could get my hands on.
The more complex answer is that, like many quilters do, as I worked more with the technique, I changed it around into a method that works well for me. As my students have learned, there are a LOT of different ways to make quilts with this unique pattern. There are multiple ways to achieve a goal and I see several in my classes. I love that about my students. They aren't just learning a method, they are making it their own in a way that they understand.
Some other resources I have found are books. Oh so many books have information on unique methods of quilt piecing! I've taken a little info from here and a little info from there and mashed it all together to see what works the best for my style.
Some of my favorite books are:
Inspired to Design: Seven Steps to Successful Art Quilts by Elizabeth Barton
Visual Guide to Working in a Series: Next Steps in Inspired Design by Elizabeth Barton
Intuitive Color and Design: Adventures in Art Quilting by Jean Wells
Journey to Inspired Art Quilting: More Intuitive Color and Design by Jean Wells
Lovely Landscape Quilts: Using Strings and Scraps to Piece and Applique Scenic Quilts by Cathy Geier
Modern Quilt Bible: Over 100 Techniques and Design Ideas for the Modern Quilter by Elizabeth Betts
That's a little bit of my starter guide to finding your own style in the art quilting world.
Happy Quilting