Creative Quilts: Inspiration, Texture & Stitch [Hardcover]

Sandra Meech (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 2006

As a sequel to her bestselling Contemporary Quilts, award- winning textile artist Sandra Meech delivers another superlative guide for anyone who’s ever wanted innovative ideas in quilting. Meech’s own work reflects her fascination with the Arctic landscape, but she shows how any needleworker can become an artist, using sketchbooks and journals, and taking inspiration from both commonplace and exotic sources as well as art, architecture, and textiles. The photos of finished projects provide fuel for creativity, the expert instructions show how to turn ideas into reality, and the array of fabulous techniques (surface embellishment, mixed-media, and three-dimensional looks) match the originality of design. Because these quilts deserve to be displayed, tips are provided on how best to showcase the finished item.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Award-winning quilt artist Sandra Meech is a teacher and lecturer who works with textile groups in the UK and abroad. She is a member of Quilt Art and exhibits widely around the world. She is the author of Contemporary Quilts: Design, Surface and Stitch and Creative Quilts: Inspiration, Texture and Stitch. She lives in Binfield, Berkshire.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Batsford (September 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0713490063
• ISBN-13: 978-0713490060
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #411,918 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

80 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the book I've been waiting for!, March 15, 2007

By 

B. Burke "Editor, college professor" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Creative Quilts: Inspiration, Texture & Stitch (Hardcover)

Knowing where you want to go but not having a map to get there is a frustrating predicament. Fortunately, Sandra Meech has provided a detailed map for the new quilt artist striving to begin the creative journey. Her book Creative Quilts: Inspiration, Texture, & Stitch, is a thorough guide, lavishly enhanced with photos and drawings.

This second book of Meech's (the first being Contemporary Quilts: Design, Surface, and Stitch, Batsford, 2003), seems to be more focused on the serious artist vs. quilt art in general. Although some of the same topics are discussed, she illustrates with new examples. The two books complement one another rather than repeat the content.

Ms. Meech serves as an experienced guide through the myriad paths of creativity, providing tools (mind mapping, creating a sketchbook); principles (design, composition, color theory); techniques (stitching, collage, photography) and plenty of ideas. She explores texture, including the technique called wireform, a method of stitching and manipulating fabric to render it in three dimensions.

The book is best digested in small bites because of the richness of its content. It would be difficult to absorb all the chapters at once, as the burst of creativity each topic evokes is enough to keep an artist busy for weeks.

This book should be in the library of anyone who is serious about working with cloth as art, if for no other reason than as a visual treat. Any artist struggling to get started or looking for a breakthrough would find ample stimulation here.

60 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even Better!, October 4, 2006

By 

Caitlin O'Connor "Caity Makes" (Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Creative Quilts: Inspiration, Texture & Stitch (Hardcover)

Sandra Meech's new book is will take your quilting/textile art to a new level. Lots of design exercises, a comprehensive section on sketchbooks and inspiration, and gorgeous quilts from Meech and others. I didn't think her 2004 book "Contemporary Quilts: Design, Surface and Stitch" could be bettered, but if you loved that book - you NEED this one. All new info, so it's good value, too.

The best new quilting book of 2006, hands down.

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!, January 25, 2007

By 

J. M. Evans-Van Hoff (Richland, WA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Creative Quilts: Inspiration, Texture & Stitch (Hardcover)

I thought Sandra's first book was the best textile book in my library until I received Creative Quilts. This book is wonderful. It is full of gorgeous photos that illustrate the ideas so well. If you want to move forward in your creativity purchase this books. I am sold on this author and look forward to more publications from her.