Barbara Brackman has selected some of her favorite designs featured in the 1935 classic book Carrie Hall and Rose Kretsinger, The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt in America. The result is Carrie Hall's Sampler, which combines traditional applique blocks and pieced accents into a stunning sampler.

This lively applique tribute to the alphabet has something for everyone. Block letters, cursive, Spencerian--patterns for seven unique quilts are included. Animals, number and flowers accompany the letter. Author Bea Oglesby offers advice for making these quilts quickly and easily with fusible web and her own signature style of fine hand applique. Additional projects offer other imaginative ways to use the letters.

Author Pam Manning presents her favorite things in life, depicted in this example of folk art/primitive style of quilting about country living and American small-town life. Special highlights include the block dedicated to Warren Kimble's "Round Barn" and wall hangings of the four seasons.

This coffee-table art book presents more than 50 bold quilts collected by Scott Heffley dating back 122 years. A tribute to their soulful beauty, the book shows traditional quilts next to their improvisational cousins, as well as African textiles that demonstrate similarities to this American art. Also included are ways to examine quilts, fabric dating and the importance of recording the history of these quilts. Heffley offers insightful aesthetic observations as well, an outgrowth of his work restoring masterpieces at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City.

Renowed Kansas City designer and Andover fabric artist Sonie Fussin creates ll contemporary quilts based on the collection featured in Bold Improvisation: Search for African American Quilts - The Heffley Collection. Also included are original designs and pattern for quilts by Sonie, all part of her quest to learn about her familiy origins and heritage. Sonie-s easy-to-follow patterns encourage creativity ad simple, quick construction. Each design is paired with Sonie's imaginative stories.

Authored by quilt historian Terry Clothier Thompson, this book looks at the Civil War through the eyes of Louisa May Alcott. Louise is best known for writing children's stories and Little Women, but was also very invovled with the anti-slavery movement, rights for women and served as a Civil War Nurse. The heart of the book is the "Louisa" quilt with nine "cameo" blocks telling the story of Louisa and her family's life in New England. There are six pieced blocks from the Civil War era that can be used to make soldier's quilts. The book also contains patterns of three authentic soldiers quilts and another magnificent appliqued quilt called "Concord, Mass".

Beautiful quilts such as St. Louis Nosegay, Simple Stars and Mariners Compass are included. Fourteen patterns are given.

Carolyn McCormick creates another stunning paper-pieced sampler. Twenty Kansas City Star patterns from the 1940's have been redrafted into 10-inch and 4-inch paper-pieced patterns, giving the quilter the choice of a larger quilt or a miniature. Instructions for projects such as sachets and trinket boxes are also included as alternatives for using the blocks. Another book feature is how quilts were part of World War II - quilts made by prisoners of war, Service Banners and how the war changed women's roles.

Kansas City Star has gathered 16 special quilt projects from 19 of Moda's top designers and will publish them in one book. Each designer is profiled with a Q & A and great photos.

Reg. $12.95 By Alma Allen and Barb Adams of Blackbird Designs.

Applique Artist Bea Oglesby presents a new collection of her original designs--27 different fruits, grouped into four quilts by categories: berries, citrus, exotic and common fruits. Also included are Bea's own recipes for serving fresh fruit. 96 pages.

Authors Barbara Brackman and Deb Rowden. Woven cottons -- stitched together in a scrappy way -- are the stars in this early 19th century reproduction quilt, created especially for the cabin exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Museum in Springfield, Illinois. Inside you will find history about quilts on the frontier and instructions to create your own version of this striking quilt. 16 pages.