501 Quilting Motifs: Designs for Hand or Machine Quilting from the Editors of Quiltmaker Magazine
Now that you have finished appliquéing or piecing your project you are faced with the daunting task of quilting it. Whether or not you quilt a piece yourself or send it out to be quilted, settling on a quilt design that will work with what you have created can be difficult.Generally I have a design in mind but often times I find myself just repeating the same few quilt designs over and over. What I really need is a good source of quilt designs to look through seeking inspiration.The editors ofQuiltmaker® Magazineand the folks at Martingale/That Patchwork Place have just come out with a new book featuring 501 Quilting Motifs. In fact it is called501 Quilting Motifs - Designs for Hand or Machine Quilting. This book offers a marvelous collection of 501 quilting motifs selected from more than 26 years ofQuiltmaker® Magazine.Quilters of all skill levels will be able to use these motifs to create their own one-of-a-kind quilts. Some of the different categories of designs include flowers, feathers, vines and leaves, seasonal and holidays, children and teens, geometric designs, and more. While I enjoy leafing through the pages of the book looking at each and every pattern, there is also a quicker way to locate a motif. This book also includes two very useful indexes where each motif is cross-referenced by size and style. Looking to fill a square? Then look in the section titled "squares;" and look for the size of your square. Rectangles, triangles and borders are also listed along with their size.Before you even start looking at the motifs you will find a section of clear guidelines with advice on what sort of design would work best with what style of quilt. How to adapt a motif to fit your needs, be it machine or hand quilting, or just changing a motif to fit your particular quilt. Questions about how much quilting your project requires and how to transfer motifs are also addressed.The editors of this book say you will be able to make well over a thousand arrangements featuring the designs found in the book. I believe them! If you like to collect block patterns and quilt patterns then this book is a must have to add to your library. --The Applique Society Newsletter, May/June 2014