Free-Motion Quilting with Angela Walters

April 16, 2012
Walters thinks machine quilting is more fun than cutting or piecing. She amply proves that quilting is “another layer of art” through careful instructions in the art of free-motion quilting. Her book is not rule filled: she insists throughout that she’s describing what works for her, and she encourages quilters to experiment to find what works for them. The book falls into three sections. “Getting Started” includes definitions and supply lists; “The Designs” presents 28 patterns of swirls and circles, squares, lines and vines, and arcs and points. The final section on working with designs of modern quilts considers designs of squares, zigzags, strips, and off-kilter (“wonky”) pieces. Instructions direct quilters step-by-step in text and graphic illustrations, backed by closeup photographs of the designs quilted by Walters. In the final section of tips (followed by a helpful glossary), Walters exhorts quilters to answer a question to reveal the most important thing about the quilt at hand: the fabric? the piecing? the image of a child hugging the coverlet?

July 1, 2012

Walters is the go-to machine quilter for many modern quilt designers, and her first book is an introduction to the basics of designing for machine quilting. To make it appealing to a variety of quilters, it isn't specific to a type of machine--any of the designs in the book could be created using a standard sewing machine or a long-arm quilting machine. Walters organizes the content by geometric shape (swirls and circles, squares, etc.), allowing quilters to quickly reference the designs when needed. A useful section on choosing what to quilt based on the design of the quilt top is also included. VERDICT Machine quilting is very popular, and this book is suitable for quilters of all skill levels, regardless of the machine they use for quilting.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.