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Free-Motion Quilting with Angela Walters: Choose & Use Quilting Designs on Modern Quilts
Popular machine quilter Angela Walters will motivate you to try something new! Learn to stitch her fresh continuous-line designs on your longarm or domestic machine. Includes step-by-step instructions for continuous-line swirls, circles, squares, vines, arcs, and points. Using basic free-motion skills you already have, discover how to approach quilting a modern quilt by working with bold fabrics and negative space, uniting a variety of shapes, and blending designs. Draw inspiration from striking pictures of 20 modern quilts showing Angela’s designs. You’ll love her practical advice for choosing the perfect pattern to give your modern quilt maximum impact.
120 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 2, 2012
Since I started quilting my own quilts a few years ago I've been on the look out for interesting ideas and articles on how to choose quilting designs and inspiration for free motion quilting (FMQ). While looking around online one of the names I kept seeing attached to some of these amazing quilts was Angela Walters.
I've since been lucky enough to talk with Angela in person, emails and on twitter and she even sponsored a chat on Talkin' Tuesday. She is one of the nicest and most genuine people I've met in this industry, which is saying something as the quilting community is full of amazing people.
Stash Books recently released Angela's new book, Free Motion Quilting with Angela Walters: Choose and Use Quilting Designs for Modern Quilts. That is a long title but it says exactly what the book is all about.
Angela goes through the entire process of how she decides how, where and what to quilt on modern/contemporary quilts, which tend to have a lot of negative space, irregular shapes and really bold bright fabrics.
The act of quilting is the same on both traditional, modern and hybrid quilts but the designs and placement tend to be different as quilting is about complementing and enhancing the design of the quilt top.
Free-Motion Quilting with Angela Walters
There are 22 designs in the book that Angela shows step by step how to create, and you can do these on your domestic sewing machine just as well as on a mid or long arm machine.
She explains in both words and photos/diagrams how to not only form the design but how to connect it so you're not starting and stopping constantly.
There are tips through out the book to make quilting easier and more fun. A lot of them are things learned over time by quilting so many quilts and they are so helpful in getting the results you want.
The book has no judgement of style. Angela is able to share her love of modern quilting without in anyway taking away from more traditional styles. Many of the quilting designs, and all of the helpful tips and tricks, can be applied to traditional quilting as well.
10860_239
If after going through all the designs and sections of the book you're still stuck there is another section for that! Angela goes through all the questions to ask to help you get unstuck and quilting.
This is a book I recommend anyone who is even thinking of quilting their own quilts pick up. You'll return to it again and again, even if you're a traditional quilter.
Number one tip from Angela? "Relax and Practice drawing first"
From my experience this is the best way to get comfortable with the design. Do it until you can reproduce the design without stopping or thinking and it will be easy to quilt!
I've since been lucky enough to talk with Angela in person, emails and on twitter and she even sponsored a chat on Talkin' Tuesday. She is one of the nicest and most genuine people I've met in this industry, which is saying something as the quilting community is full of amazing people.
Stash Books recently released Angela's new book, Free Motion Quilting with Angela Walters: Choose and Use Quilting Designs for Modern Quilts. That is a long title but it says exactly what the book is all about.
Angela goes through the entire process of how she decides how, where and what to quilt on modern/contemporary quilts, which tend to have a lot of negative space, irregular shapes and really bold bright fabrics.
The act of quilting is the same on both traditional, modern and hybrid quilts but the designs and placement tend to be different as quilting is about complementing and enhancing the design of the quilt top.
Free-Motion Quilting with Angela Walters
There are 22 designs in the book that Angela shows step by step how to create, and you can do these on your domestic sewing machine just as well as on a mid or long arm machine.
She explains in both words and photos/diagrams how to not only form the design but how to connect it so you're not starting and stopping constantly.
There are tips through out the book to make quilting easier and more fun. A lot of them are things learned over time by quilting so many quilts and they are so helpful in getting the results you want.
The book has no judgement of style. Angela is able to share her love of modern quilting without in anyway taking away from more traditional styles. Many of the quilting designs, and all of the helpful tips and tricks, can be applied to traditional quilting as well.
10860_239
If after going through all the designs and sections of the book you're still stuck there is another section for that! Angela goes through all the questions to ask to help you get unstuck and quilting.
This is a book I recommend anyone who is even thinking of quilting their own quilts pick up. You'll return to it again and again, even if you're a traditional quilter.
Number one tip from Angela? "Relax and Practice drawing first"
From my experience this is the best way to get comfortable with the design. Do it until you can reproduce the design without stopping or thinking and it will be easy to quilt!
August 15, 2012
Really excellent, useful, PRACTICAL book on free-motion quilting. A number of different designs are shown, with precise directions and tips on how to actually make the shape, as well as variations to add different looks. Lots of really helpful tips on practicing, on choosing quilting designs, and the rest. Great book!
October 6, 2017
I LOVE this book, and all the books on quilting Angela Walters has published! This book helped me greatly in the styling of free motion quilting with my at-home sewing machine (Angela Walters uses a larger machine). I'm still newer to quilting and this has definitely improved my quilting technique.
The designs have step-by-step pictures that are very clear and helpful. She gives advice and tips for all her designs, on planning out your quilting designs, and so much more! She shares some classic and unique quilting designs...some I had wanted to learn and others I had never seen around before.
I personally feel this is best for those who already have been introduced to free motion quilting but would like to enhance their skills (as I did/do). It doesn't cover a lot on putting a quilt together and such...it simply focuses on the quilting aspect - which was fine with me. :)
The designs have step-by-step pictures that are very clear and helpful. She gives advice and tips for all her designs, on planning out your quilting designs, and so much more! She shares some classic and unique quilting designs...some I had wanted to learn and others I had never seen around before.
I personally feel this is best for those who already have been introduced to free motion quilting but would like to enhance their skills (as I did/do). It doesn't cover a lot on putting a quilt together and such...it simply focuses on the quilting aspect - which was fine with me. :)
March 11, 2017
This book is geared for beginners in free motion quilting. It details designs in step by step drawings, encourages experimentaction and combination, and gives applications for the specific patterns. I found it encouraging and am torn between checking it out again vs. buying it for reference.
March 21, 2020
I’ve finished the book, made my quilt sandwich with a top I pieced for practice, and now I just need to put the things I learned in the book to use. But first, I may need to find some thread that matches my quilt top.
May 29, 2020
Very interesting book with many great ideas
I first borrowed this book from the library to check out the designs and ideas as I’m just getting started with quilting. Have decided to purchase and add to my new quilting library.
I first borrowed this book from the library to check out the designs and ideas as I’m just getting started with quilting. Have decided to purchase and add to my new quilting library.
September 3, 2021
This is a superb guide to free-motion quilting!!
Ms. Walters provided many careful and easy-to-follow diagrams which provided me with a starting point.
Excellent reference book for an "advanced beginner" who is looking to master the next step.
Ms. Walters provided many careful and easy-to-follow diagrams which provided me with a starting point.
Excellent reference book for an "advanced beginner" who is looking to master the next step.
November 10, 2024
I really love learning from Angela Walters. This book is really well put together, and I love how clear and simple the diagrams are for showing the steps for a few FMQ designs. This is a great book for a beginner or anyone looking for inspiration!
July 8, 2018
I love Angela's positive attitude and can-do enthusiasm!
October 5, 2020
Great information
Just love how she breaks it down & direction examples.
And finished is better than perfect. Practice, practice. Thank Angela.
Just love how she breaks it down & direction examples.
And finished is better than perfect. Practice, practice. Thank Angela.
November 14, 2019
Modern quilting with free motion
Another great book for deciding what designs to use when free motion quilting. It’s a lot to take in but so worth it. Well written and full of great ideas.
Another great book for deciding what designs to use when free motion quilting. It’s a lot to take in but so worth it. Well written and full of great ideas.
February 12, 2017
Good book for a refresher and to take my skills up a notch.
August 15, 2013
The quilting itself is NOT my favorite part of the quilting process, but I'm trying to learn how to do it better. This was helpful, as she breaks down quilting designs shape, then within each shape starts basic and works her way up. There is a combination of written direction, step-by-step drawings, and pictures of quilts using each design, so it easier than some other machine quilting books that I've seen to really understand how it to do it and how it comes together.
There are a few ways in which she & I just don't have the same style, but that doesn't diminish the book, just means I'll take the parts I like and use them how I like. I am not a modern quilter, first of all, but designs are designs and will be useful for any style quilt. She also favors incredibly dense quilting and I don't, partially becuase I don't enjoy it, but again, easy to adapt.
Useful for ideas, inspiration, and directions that look to be fairly easy to follow.
There are a few ways in which she & I just don't have the same style, but that doesn't diminish the book, just means I'll take the parts I like and use them how I like. I am not a modern quilter, first of all, but designs are designs and will be useful for any style quilt. She also favors incredibly dense quilting and I don't, partially becuase I don't enjoy it, but again, easy to adapt.
Useful for ideas, inspiration, and directions that look to be fairly easy to follow.
February 20, 2013
This book offers great ideas for quilting. The author does a great job describing how to obtain the desired design, offers a wide variety of designs and makes free motion quilting seem less daunting. She also shows the quilting pattern up close (for each square) and further back so you can see the overall affect. I particularly loved the Shattered Glass quilt under Irregular Shapes.
July 19, 2012
Excellent book full of great free motion quilting designs with full page photos as backgrounds and step by step diagrams.
August 22, 2012
Meh, not a lot of new info in here. I've been at this a while and have read a lot of other books, so I didn't get much out of this that I'll end up using.
September 22, 2012
It's far the best quilting book I've ever read. Highly recommend to all who are trying their hands in FMQ for the first time. very clear directions and great pictures.
February 3, 2014
I loved the detailed diagrams for some of Angela's favorite quilting patterns
June 23, 2014
Great reference to free motion quilting. Angela explains several patterns and then how to combine in a quilt top.
June 9, 2015
Great ideas.
June 7, 2016
Beautiful book smart full pages with outstanding instruction and wonderful quilts.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews