Monday, March 30, 2009

Crazy Beautiful!

Author Alice Wilhoit has brought crazy quilting into the 21st century with our latest book, Crazy Patchwork. She uses batiks to create the foundation blocks, and this makes all the difference!

Forget the dark, heavy look of Victorian crazy quilts; Alice shows you how to create fresh, fun, fabulous quilts, pillows, a fireplace mantle scarf that is to die for, and the perfect gift -- a framed quilt picture.

Her stitching instructions are super easy to follow, and the best part of the book is that she gives you 12 completely different blocks based on the flowers and gem stones associated with birth months. If you're a "findings" collector -- trinket, buttons, laces, trims, broken or mismatched jewelry -- this book is for you.

Alice and her students show you how unique your quilt can be; check out the gallery of their quilts, all made in the same class, and see how different they are. If you already love crazy quilts, you'll love this book's updated look. If you've never tried crazy quilting, this book could be the start of true love affair! Order it at 1-800-626-5420, item # 7926.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

AQS Author is Professional Teacher of the Year!

Congratulations to Margie Engel, author of Bodacious Applique a la Carte (AQS 2008)! She has been named the 2009 Professional Teacher of the Year by Professional Quilter Magazine.

Margie has been teaching, especially in Florida, on cruises, and at retreats, for years. She is especially known for her work encouraging children to learn to quilt through the all-volunteer organization she founded, EduQuilt.

Her enthusiasm is infectious, her ability to make color and design easy to comprehend is amazing, and she's a kind, caring soul. If you can't meet her in person in class at an upcoming AQS show, you can get to know her through her wildly colorful, happy book (item #7769 - 800-626-5420).

July 5, 2009: Breaking news: Pam Clarke, also an AQS author, won the HMQS Teacher of the Year Award! Congratulations, Pam! See the post about her at the July 2 post.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Beautiful Baby Bibs and More!

Just in time for Spring, Florence Riesen's Heirloom Quilted Nursery is here! Using simple patterns for bibs, bonnets, gowns and quilts, Florence shows you how to completely decorate a nursery and the newest member of your family with heirloom quality machine quilting. Achieve stunning results quickly and easily using her original designs, motifs and alphabets. Although they look precious, these made-to-be-used items can be laundered, and will certainly be beautiful on display, whether on a pretty baby or in a pretty room.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Read This!

AQS is delighted to announce the release of Deb Karasik's second book, Quilts with Attitude. If you know Deb as a Quilt Maven, you've got the right author. Her work is bold, flamboyant, precise and unmistakable. Use the paper foundation patterns for 13 projects on the included CD to create your own masterpieces in no time flat, or take Deb's approach and endow it with your own attitude. Ask for her book by name or item number 7773 when you call 1-800-626-5420 to order it. Her very singular voice rings out from every page and should make you smile, as the quilts you create from her book will.

Terrific Trio

Just in time for Spring, AQS is releasing a trio of bright, fresh quilting books. Enjoy!

Quilted Elegance is the second AQS book from award-winning designer Rami Kim. (Her first was Folded Fabric Elegance.) She makes finely sewn, beautifully detailed quilted garments exceptionally elegant and easy to create. Even better, every jacket, vest, pillow and wallhanging is reversible! She even presents matching purses. If dressing in style is your style, use the pattern CD in Rami's book to dress yourself in silk or denim with quilted elegance.

It never fails: Kaleidoscope quilts always have a WOW! factor, but people shy away from making these beauties because they think they're difficult. Fear no more! Author Sharon Sebrow has developed a sure-fire technique with a clever template to make planning and piecing kaleidoscope quilts a breeze. In Kaleidoscope the Smart Way, she also presents different sizes of patterns so you can go large (fast and easy) or larger (faster and easier).

Every year The National Quilt Museum (formerly Museum of the American Quilter's Society, or MAQS) holds the "New Quilts from an Old Favorite Contest," and AQS publishes a book of the winning entries. For 2008, the contest block was Burgoyne Surrounded, and you won't believe how varied the winners' interpretations were. Each winning quilt is presented alongside information about the quilter, her inspiration, and the technique(s) used. Find your own inspiration for developing original designs from traditional blocks in Burgoyne Surrounded: New Quilts from an Old Favorite, edited by AQS senior editor Linda Baxter Lasco. Even better, check out the fourteen preceeding books -- just ask for "New Quilts from an Old Favorite."

To order directly from AQS, call 1-800-626-5420. Item numbers for these books are:
Quilted Elegance, 7925; Kaleidoscope the Smart Way, 7924; Burgoyne Surrounded: New Quilts from an Old Favorite, 7928.