Versatile Appliqué Quilts Inspired by 19th Century Tile Quilts. A contemporary take on a charming quilting tradition. Use your favorite appliqué technique-needle turn, machine appliqué, or fused. 6 projects teach you about designing and constructing various styles of tile quilts, from traditional to contemporary. Includes a fascinating history of tile quilts, plus photo galleries of both historic and contemporary quilts. Big blocks of 10" x 10" or even 15" x 15" are great for bold contemporary fabrics. Easy "grouted" designs let you show off curves and irregular shapes. Great way to use many different fabrics, scraps too! Choose solid or pieced backgrounds to enhance your "tiles". Inspired by nineteenth-century tile quilts, these projects work beautifully with today's colorful, contemporary fabrics, but they retain that folk-art style that makes them so much fun to sew and show off.

By Carol Gilham Jones and Bobbi Finley