what book helped you learn how to quilt?

Today is the National Book Lover's Day in the United States, and I wanted to share with everyone the one book that helped me out the most when I started learning how to quilt. {And don't forget to check out the Moda Fabrics Blog to register in the Moda Bake Shop Chef Book Tour and you could win one of the books featured on their blog!}

Here it is: Quilter's Complete Guide by Marianne Fons & Liz Porter was published in 1993 by Oxmoor House, Inc. My mother parted with this cherished book when she found out that I started quilting. She too was a great quilter and taught classes at our local community college.

The book is thorough and talks about all different types of blocks from beginner to advanced as well as how to make miniature quilts. It talks about how to make templates, incorporating piping into a quilt, how to choose the setting of your blocks, different border possibilities, complicated Y-seam piecing, applique, Hawaiian quilts, Seminole, Sashiko quilting, the Folded-Star, etc., etc. It really is complete and has helped me repeatedly over time.

The first few years, I would always grab the book when I wanted to make my binding. Now, the information is stored on my hard drive {as my son would say}. I used to make continuous strip, double-folded, bias binding until I finally learned myself, it is simpler, faster and better to make and use straight grain strips. They make a crisper edge especially on the corners! But, I had a starting point! I have the basics stored in my head and adapt to make sewing and quilting easier and more practical.

I cherish my books and, periodically, pick one up to get new ideas or read something I had forgotten about. This is really one book that I need to re-read! You are never too old to learn.

What book has helped you the most to learn how to quilt? I would like to hear from you and so would Moda too!