The book leads you through Ruth B. McDowell's progression into becoming one of today's most prominent quilt artists. Full-color reproductions of 100 of her quilts, drawn from collections all over the world, illustrate this volume and offer an immensely sensitive and personal look at her work.

This book is wonderfully inviting for artists, quilters, and anyone in search of inspiration. Ruth explains, "I share with you my thoughts and ideas, construction tips, methods of working, quilt-making philosophy, and images of the quilts ... for your amusement and inspiration."

Take a stroll through Ruth B. McDowell’s remarkable flower garden, and see how her clever piecing techniques make your favorite flowers come to life. Pieced Flowers complements Ruth’s Piecing: Expanding the Basics and focuses exclusively on designing and creating pieced flowers.

Features include:
• 10 pieced flower designs with several different styles offered for each flower – a total of 55 block patterns
• Patterns include rose, iris, daylily, columbine, hollyhock and more
• Complete sets of diagrams, charts, illustrations, and template patterns to recreate each design
• Insight into the construction process, including Ruth’s special techniques for enhancing floral designs

Also Available in French

Click here to see what readers and reviewers are saying about Pieced Flowers!

Pieced Vegetables
C&T Publishing
128pp, paper, color and B&W photos and illustrations
ISBN: 1-57120-140-8

Brilliant quilt artist Ruth B. McDowell has done it again! Her clever piecing techniques make garden vegetables come to life. Pieced Vegetables joins Pieced Flowers and Piecing: Expanding the Basics as required reading for serious students of machine piecing.

This book includes 20 vegetables, many with design and piecing variations, for a total of 38 different blocks. It includes all your favorites, such as asparagus, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, onions, peppers and more, and comes with complete instructions, diagrams, illustrations and template patterns to re-create each design. Pieced Vegetables also features advice on fabric choices and insight into Ruth's construction process.

Also Available in French

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You won't believe your eyes when you see this incredible collection of pieced quilt blocks from quilt artist Ruth B. McDowell! When Quilters Gather celebrates quiltmakers: who we are, how we work and our passion for what we do.

• 17 pieced block designs represent quilters at work and play, plus variations for a total of 20 blocks
• Pick and choose among blocks to create your own masterpiece, or make Ruth's delightful sampler using 13 blocks
• Straight-seam piecing-no curved or set-in seams!-using Ruth's easy freezer-paper template techniques
• Complete instructions, illustrations and template patterns to re-create each design
• Expert advice on choosing fabric, including skin and hair fabrics, plus insight into the design process

Join Ruth McDowell on her journey from inspiration to finished quilt!

• How does she DO that? Quilt artist Ruth McDowell shares her insights into the thought and design process, from inspiration through to the final stitch
• An insider's tour of 18 of her recent works
• Learn how to combine patterned fabrics into a colorful pieced surface, plan borders, choose colors, and make quilting and design decisions
• Lots of photos include never-before-published close-ups of Ruth's beautiful work
• You needn't be an "art quilter" to put her lessons to work!

The piecing is all straight seams, using my freezer paper method for the piecing. The pattern contains the block at full size and complete directions for sewing the block and assembling the quilt, as well as directions for a larger project of nine pieced bears. Binding directions are included as well as suggestions for quilting. The size of the project makes it very appropriate for beginning hand or machine quilters. Supplies needed are listed on the back of the pattern.

An essential companion volume to Ruth B. McDowell's Piecing Workshop, the Design Workshop introduces you to the process of developing their own original pieced art quilts. One of the best teachers in the quilting world shares her years of experience in leading her students in making their own designs. Includes many examples of Ruth's work, including many previously unpublished art quilts.

This book is out of print, but is available as a print-on-demand book from www.ctpub.com

In the nine years since the release of Ruth B. McDowell's groundbreaking Piecing: Expanding The Basics, making her dozens of art quilts and teaching hundreds of quiltmakers, Ruth has refined her understanding of both designing and teaching for pieced quilts. She felt it was time to rewrite and further expand this best-selling book!

Ruth B. McDowell's Piecing Workshop is the first of two new volumes. Among many other innovations, new blocks to practice piecing techniques have been designed to fit into a small, charming wall hanging. As an extra bonus, two full-size pullout patterns for wall hangings are included in the book: a straight-seam maple leaf quilt with a unique border; and a graceful waterlily quilt pieced with gentle curves.

Piecing: Expanding the Basics
C&T Publishing, 1998; also available in French
160pp, paper, color and B&W photos and illustrations
ISBN: 1-57120-041-X

Almost everyone who views a quilt by Ruth B. McDowell wants to know, "How did she piece that?" Now, in the first book that shows the "how-to" of Ruth’s incredible creations, you’ll learn her methods for original piecing design. Ruth shares with you her sought-after techniques for piecing curved seams, insets, multiple angles, Z seams, Y seams, puzzle seams, diagonals, intersecting seams, slipped seams, and much more.

Beginning with a photograph or sketch, Ruth walks you through the individual steps of piecing and offers problem-solving suggestions along the way. You’ll also learn how to select fabric and find your own working style. Quiltmakers and textile artists of intermediate to advanced skill levels now have the guide to inspire themselves and prompt their skills to reach for the next level!

Also Available in French

Click here to see what readers and reviewers are saying about Piecing: Expanding the Basics!

In Symmetry, Ruth McDowell guides the quiltmaker in exploring and developing truly original designs. From a decade of quiltmaking and teaching, Ruth uses concepts of symmetry and of asymmetric block design to teach the reader how to make original quilts.

The series of 17 symmetries expands the range of patterns that can be created from either traditional or original blocks. Each chapter presents a new block design and a new concept, illustrated by a quilt shown in color, with templates, yardage charts and directions. Each of the concepts can be applied to thousands of other blocks. She includes blocks that are simple to piece as well as blocks that are more of a challenge.

Symmetry: A Design System for Quiltmakers - Original Edition
C&T Publishing, 1994
144pp, paper, color photos, color and B&W illustrations
ISBN: 0-914881-78-7

In Symmetry, Ruth McDowell guides the quiltmaker in exploring and developing truly original designs. From a decade of quiltmaking and teaching, Ruth uses concepts of symmetry and of asymmetric block design to teach the reader how to make original quilts.

The series of 17 symmetries expands the range of patterns that can be created from either traditional or original blocks. Each chapter presents a new block design and a new concept, illustrated by a quilt shown in color, with templates, yardage charts and directions. Each of the concepts can be applied to thousands of other blocks. She includes blocks that are simple to piece as well as blocks that are more of a challenge.

Symmetry: A Design System for Quiltmakers is out of print and only available secondhand or in the electronic edition above!. Click here to search for a used copy on Amazon.com.