Sewing machines are speedier--but, increasingly, quilters are discovering that working by hand provides even more pleasure and superior results. And world-renowned quilt maker, teacher, author, and show judge Nancy Brenan Daniel has created an inspiring guide just for them, with ideas for 18 varied and beautiful hand-sewn quilts. Her detailed instructions cover it all, from making the blocks and stitching them together to adding borders and binding. Many of the designs come straight from Nancy’s own antique collection, and they’re pieced, appliqu�d, and even stenciled. Several traditional and much loved patterns--including the Courthouse Log Cabin, Shoo-fly, Prickly Pear, and Windblown Daisy--are accompanied by a contemporary appliqu� quilt and a small hand-embroidered wall hanging.

Bring balance to your life in the marriage of beauty and function! From selecting fabrics to threading the needle to piecing together your project, the steps you take to create a beautiful quilt will allow you to calm your mind and bring harmony to your life. Master quilter Sandra Detrixhe shares what she's learned through years of creating art out of scraps of cloth: Quilting is a type of meditation. It's both absorbing and mind-freeing. Sandra and several of her colleagues relate stories about the quiet, mindful experience of quilting--choosing fabrics with a purpose in mind, adding pieces with special meaning, and finding a community of quilters. Each chapter includes a suggested activity that will show you how to find peace in the process. You'll soon be able to turn every minute you spend patterning, basting, and binding into enjoyable, mindful moments. With Zen and the Art of Quilting, you'll learn your wonderful, handmade quilt isn't the craft's only reward. The meditative practice of making your lovely new piece is something to be treasured as well.

A beautifully illustrated look at the work of one of today’s most unique and exciting artists Bisa Butler (b. 1973) is an American artist who creates arresting and psychologically nuanced portraits composed entirely of vibrantly colored and patterned fabrics that she cuts, layers, and stitches together. Often depicting scenes from African American life and history, Butler invites viewers to invest in the lives of the people she represents while simultaneously expanding art-historical narratives about American quiltmaking. Situating her interdisciplinary work within the broader history of textiles, photography, and contemporary art, contributions by a group of scholars—and entries by the artist herself—illuminate Butler’s approach to color, use of African-print fabrics, and wide-ranging sources of inspiration. Offering an in-depth exploration of one of America's most innovative contemporary artists, this volume will serve as a primary resource that both introduces Butler’s work and establishes a scholarly foundation for future research.

The best available book on quilt making — a complete, easy-to-follow guide. Includes full-size patterns for making 46 traditional quilts, 150 other basic patterns for making your own designs, and over 480 helpful illustrations.

Piecing it all Together: A Collection of Memoirs depicts various events in my life. The book symbolizes my lifelong story pieced into my imaginary quilt. God and his grace is the strong doubled threads that helped piece my quilted blocks together into a God-given masterpiece. Many years ago, God gave me a special gift - the art of quilt making. In my autobiography, I reveal how I have pieced my sometimes-difficult life together. As a child, I always wanted answers to questions like, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” I was born in the Baby Boomer era, which was a time when children were seen and not heard. As an adult, I have become a voice of utterance through my deliverance in which God has set me free! Through the years I have faced many unpredictable and grievous encounters. I lost my mom at the age of six. When my son was killed by a drunk driver, I wanted to be angry with God, “Why God, why my son? There are so many bad people in this world, Lord.” But He sent me a comforter, the Holy Spirit. I faced many difficult times during my life. Times when I was hungry, the time when I almost drowned, multiple times I was overcome by carbon monoxide, received beatings so much that it broke my spirit, and other occurrences that young children or adults should not have to suffer for the sake of pleasing others. As a young bride I encountered numerous marital problems. Eventually prayer and perseverance made our marital union grow stronger. My faith in God helped me to rise above my difficult dilemmas. He was always there beside me and guiding my footsteps. Today, I enjoy the pleasures and satisfaction of events that life brings. I chose joy! Being a child of God, daughter of the King, and woman of faith, I thank Him every day for loving me, forgiving me, helping me to forgive others, and bringing me comfort and joy in my darkest hours. I thank Him for lifting me up with laughter and joy when I am overwhelmed with love and happiness. He is a Mighty Good God!

Craftivism is a worldwide movement that operates at the intersection where craft and activism meet; Craftivism the book is full of inspiration for crafters who want to create works that add to the greater good. With interviews and profiles of craftivists who are changing the world with their art, and through examples that range from community embroidery projects, stitching in prisons, revolutionary ceramics, AIDS activism, yarn bombing, and crafts that facilitate personal growth, Craftivism provides imaginative examples of how crafters can be creative and altruistic at the same time. Artists profiled in the book are from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Asia, and their crafts include knitting, crocheting, sewing, textiles, pottery, and ceramics. There's the Brooklyn writer who creates large-scale site-specific knitted installations; the British woman who runs sewing and quilting workshops for community building and therapy; the Indonesian book maker and organizer of a DIY craft center; and the Oxford, England, cultural theorist and dress designer. A wonderful sense of optimism and possibility pervades the book: the inspiring notion that being crafty can really make the world a better place. Betsy Greer is a writer, crafter, researcher, and the author of Knitting for Good!: A Guide to Creating Personal, Social and Political Change Stitch by Stitch. She also runs the blog craftivism.com and believes that creativity and positive activism can save not only the soul, but also the world.

This one-of-a-kind book showcases unique quilts created for walls--"art quilts" that combine unusual techniques and materials that will inspire anyone seeking new quilting frontiers. More than 50 full-color inserts let quilters see how quilting artists express themselves through various media and 28 full-page, full-color plates illustrate a wealth of beautiful quilts.

'The Great Northern Coalfield' explores the story of mining across this millennium span, and serves as a guide to the collections related to coal held in the North of England Open Air Museum at Beamish.