The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting - A Book Review
Hey Quilty Friends! If you don't already have the latest and greatest machine quilting book, The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting co-authored by Angela Walters and Christa Watson, please stop reading right now and go get it! Okay, maybe finish reading this post first. :)
Seriously, this book is amazing from start to finish. I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy of the book in exchange for my unbiased and honest opinion and it truly is a wonderful resource for any quilter. The reason I started quilting back in 2012 is because I wanted to learn how to do the beautiful designs I saw on finished quilt tops. My husband got me my first really good machine that Christmas - I jumped right in to free motion quilting and I've never looked back.
While I've only quilted on my sit down domestic machine, I have a burning curiosity and desire to learn how to long arm quilt. One of my favorite features of this book is that it approaches machine quilting from both techniques. The pages are color coded and both quilters guide you through step-by step on how to achieve a specific design or motif.
There are 10 full color patterns used in the book and the photos are just stunning. The clarity and quilting details are so helpful. (Kudos to photographer Brent Kane and Martingdale for such beautiful photos!)
If you are strictly just a sit down or long arm quilter and are worried that half of the book won't pertain to you, think again. Much of the advice and tips from both Angela and Christa can be applied to developing your own skills regardless of your preferred method of quilting. Here is my own example: while I am pretty good at some of the more difficult motifs, like feathers, I have had a mental block when it came to ribbon candy. I could never seem to get the design to look uniform. Here is the advice that Angela gives on how to master it:
After reading it, something clicked in my brain. I always tried to make the lines touch but never overlapped them. Just that slight adjustment of allowing the lines to overlap a bit made all the difference to me and before you know it, I was quilting ribbon candy! And as you can see, I didn't even need to overlap anymore. I call this a great success!
So there you have it. If you're a seasoned quilter or just starting out, I recommend that you check out this book and take the leap into quilting your own tops. You won't regret it. You can find it at your local bookstore or any of these online retailers: Christa's shop, Angela's shop, Martingale, or Amazon.
Okay, it's time for me to get back to quilting some of the new techniques that I've read about!
While I've only quilted on my sit down domestic machine, I have a burning curiosity and desire to learn how to long arm quilt. One of my favorite features of this book is that it approaches machine quilting from both techniques. The pages are color coded and both quilters guide you through step-by step on how to achieve a specific design or motif.
There are 10 full color patterns used in the book and the photos are just stunning. The clarity and quilting details are so helpful. (Kudos to photographer Brent Kane and Martingdale for such beautiful photos!)
If you are strictly just a sit down or long arm quilter and are worried that half of the book won't pertain to you, think again. Much of the advice and tips from both Angela and Christa can be applied to developing your own skills regardless of your preferred method of quilting. Here is my own example: while I am pretty good at some of the more difficult motifs, like feathers, I have had a mental block when it came to ribbon candy. I could never seem to get the design to look uniform. Here is the advice that Angela gives on how to master it:
After reading it, something clicked in my brain. I always tried to make the lines touch but never overlapped them. Just that slight adjustment of allowing the lines to overlap a bit made all the difference to me and before you know it, I was quilting ribbon candy! And as you can see, I didn't even need to overlap anymore. I call this a great success!
So there you have it. If you're a seasoned quilter or just starting out, I recommend that you check out this book and take the leap into quilting your own tops. You won't regret it. You can find it at your local bookstore or any of these online retailers: Christa's shop, Angela's shop, Martingale, or Amazon.
Okay, it's time for me to get back to quilting some of the new techniques that I've read about!
this book is on my wish list and will certainly be coming home with me soon, Christa`s first book on quilting is what got me finally able to manage to quilt that too is an amazing book
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words - I'm so glad you like the book!
ReplyDeleteLOVE The new blog!! The header is super cute. This book is on my wish list!
ReplyDelete