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Any quilter, whether a complete beginner or a seasoned expert, needs great quilt books in their personal libraries to keep them inspired and refreshed on all those quilting techniques. Even I have these great books on the shelf closest to my sewing machine. Whenever I need to brush up on a technique I always go to my quilting books first. Videos and blog posts take time to search, read, and watch, but my quilting books are already marked at my favorite spots. Generations of makers have used some of these best quilting books to make everything from traditional quilts to modern quilt patterns. Every quilter needs a quilting book like my personal library to keep next to their sewing machine too.
What Makes A Good Quilting Book
Before I get into my list of best quilting books, I want to share my thoughts on what makes a good quilting reference book.
Complete instructions that cater to multiple learning styles
It's hard to meet everyone's learning needs in one great book. A book geared toward beginners may not be the right book for someone with experience who would want to reference a not-often-used technique. Some people learn best by reading, others by looking at pictures and diagrams. I think best quilting books should meet the needs of at least two learning styles to be useful. Look for a quilting book that has:
Clear, concise, and complete instructions for your quilting skill level within pattern books.
Lots of pictures and diagrams that help explain the instructions. Multiple techniques covered from start to finish
Multiple techniques are covered from start to finish
When I'm evaluating quilting reference books, I'm not looking for just a quilt pattern book. I want to have clear, concise instructions for a variety of techniques from start to finish. These books can focus on one type of quilt, like art quilts, jelly roll quilts, or fat quarter quilts. A good quilting reference book should contain cutting and piecing techniques, layering, and basting techniques, as well as quilting and finishing techniques. Multiple techniques in those categories should be covered to be considered one of the best quilting books. A bonus is if the quilting book contains new patterns using the techniques covered.
Project patterns that use techniques covered
This is a bonus, but extremely helpful. If there are new patterns that use techniques described, you can get a better feel for the technique than just reading and looking at pictures. It also caters to the hands-on learners, too. Small projects like table toppers, and scrappy quilts are great ways to practice those new ways of different techniques.
Here are five best quilting books that are a must-have for any quilting library:
- All-in-One Quilter’s Reference Tool by Harriet Hargrave, Alex Anderson, Sharyn Craig, Liz Aneloski
This is a must have quilt book for any quilter who wants to exercise their creative juices. This book is packed full of reference charts for quilts and quilt blocks of all sizes. There are some assumptions that you already understand the basics of sewing and quilting. This quilt book also contains new patterns for making individual blocks, but if you want to make an entire quilt, you will have to use a bit of creativity.
The All-in-One Quilter's Reference Tool earned a rating of 4.7/5 stars and has many good reviews. Reviewers enjoyed the helpful charts and recommend it for quilters of all experiences. Critics comment on its size, which is smaller and that it lacks detailed instructions for the beginner quilter to find the book useful. I think it is one of many beautiful books that fits perfectly on a quilter's bookshelf.
This is the quilting reference book I have on my shelf and its a beautiful book. It provides good written instruction on multiple ways to do several techniques and includes patterns for practicing those techniques. It has lots of text followed up with good diagrams and covers just about everything from start to finish.
The Art of Classic Quilt Making by Hariett Hargrave earned 4.6/5 stars on Amazon and reviewers call it "one of the best reference books on quilting". Critics of the book mention that it is one of the older books on the market, published in 2000. Be aware that while the content of this book is wonderful, you might have to buy a print-on-demand book and it might come in black and white.
Just starting off with quilting? This is the book for you and it might be the latest book to join my quilting library. It contains lots of information geared to those just starting off and includes some of the history of quilting as well, which I like. Unfortunately, the illustrations are lacking for those who are visual learners.
The Quilting Bible has gotten many reviews, most of them good. Reviewers find that the book is very helpful for beginners and has clearly written instructions. Critics of the book comment on the lack of pictures and some critical typos referencing the quilting process.
This is the ultimate reference for the more advanced quilter. Fons and Porter have been go-to authors for quilting instruction for years. This is the book you want after you've made several quilts and want to expand your quilting skills.
The Quilter's Complete Guide by Marianne Fons and Liz Porter is one of the most popular books on quilting, with a 4.7 out of 5 star rating on Amazon.com. The reviews are mostly positive, with reviewers praising the book's content and organization. The book is recommended for beginners and experienced quilters alike. Some reviewers, however, found the book too complex or too detailed.
I fell in love with this book the moment I saw it on Amazon. While it doesn't include detailed references to all the aspects of quilting, it does provide an excellent reference to hand quilting with the purpose of getting those quilts finished quickly. Which is a great alternative to machine quilting.
Hand Quilting Techniques for Farmhouse Style by Carolyn Forster has earned 4.5/5 stars with 33 ratings. Reviewers praise the excellent written instructions and illustrations. Critics were a little disappointed by the fact that this book only focused on finishing techniques by hand and not quilting from start to finish by hand.
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