The 3 Best Books About Quilting

The 3 Best Books About Quilting

written by Darla Christiansen

Want to learn about quilting? Or ready to level up your skills? Here are our standouts among the sea of quilting books that will get you inspired for your next project.

1. Modern Quilt Bible

  • Best for: feeling like you’re quilting with your bestie
  • Type: Paperback, 157 pages
  • Author: Elizabeth Betts
  • Publisher: David & Charles Publishing, 2019
Hooray, quilting and sewing demystified! This is the most welcoming set of sewing and quilting instructions I’ve come across. It’s as if author Elizabeth Betts is there by your side, coaching and saying “Yes, that’s it, you’ve got it! Can I get you a snack?”

If this is your first venture into sewing, you’re in good hands. She includes instructions for how to actually begin sewing, starting with those two pieces of fabric and how to stitch them together. If you’re already stitching, this book will bump you to a next-level skill set. 
  • Eye Candy: There are simple, clear illustrations and tons (tons!) of beautiful photos throughout – as you thumb through the first half of the book, prepare to be inspired! That section on color makes me want to go sew. Right now.
  • Basics & Best Practices: Explanations about fabric and thread are particularly helpful, as in, what thread should I be using with which fabric (answer: depends on the fabric)? Can I combine different kinds of fabric in a quilt (answer: certainly, just consider doing a little test first)? What should I be doing with linen (answer: starch before cutting and use a larger seam allowance to minimize fray)?
  • Shape & Color Play: A standout feature of the book is a series of layout and design exercises, inviting you to experiment and play with colors, shapes and space. It’s like a weekend workshop right in your hands.

2. The Quilting Book

  • Best for: diving into the nitty gritty
  • Type: Hardback, 304 pages
  • Authors: Christina West & Kasey Crutchfield
  • Publisher: DK Publishing 2025
If you’re ready to take a deep dive into all the quilting things, this book is a must have. It’s loaded with so much information, from thread types to common and uncommon fabrics. It might feel slightly overwhelming at first glance, but fear not! There’s a handy “How to Use This Book” section that gets you to the bits most helpful to you. Want a little support getting started? Check. Ready to jump into improv piecing or English paper piecing? Check. Finishing techniques, tools, color inspo? Check, check, check.

A few sections I know I’ll be referring back to again and again:
  • Quilt Math: Cue the flashback to high school trig when you just *knew* there would be no use for that – doh! And, here we are, needing Quilt Math. It can be intimidating but the helpful formulas here are your friends.
  • Classic Block Gallery: There are pages and pages about the blocks that you probably see used in those beautiful Insta reels. Best thing, each one of the blocks has the corresponding page number listed, so you can flip back for the technique on making it. There’s also a great mod sampler quilt – it’s the culmination of all the techniques showcased in the first half of the book, and can we say, looks great in solids!? (wink)
  • Binding: This book gives you options you may not have known about. Honestly, I really thought there was just one way to bind a quilt, but here you go … and just like the rest of the book, the photos and illustrations make it so clear.
And if you noticed the pages are slightly reminiscent of a travel guide to cathedrals of Europe, it’s because this book is a cousin to the publisher of DK Eyewitness travel books. Like those, each page of this book is full of gems, gridded out into chunks of information to navigate your sewing journey. (See what I did there?) 

3. School of Quilting

  • Best for: jumping into quilting or sharpening your skills
  • Type: Hardback, 272 pages
  • Author: Jessica Ahlstrand Kwan
  • Publisher: Lucky Spool Media, LLC, 2025
Author Jessica Ahlstrand Kwan is honest and direct but not at all harsh. Starting with the truth that sewing machines aren’t cheap, she shares advice about what’s important to look for in a machine, and how to decide which is right for you. Be sure to check out the Anatomy of a Sewing Machine section for crystal clear photos with names and arrows pointing to each lever, button and screw. This is the way every sewing machine manual should be.

Included in the book are several unsung, often overlooked, but valuable topics:
  • Frankenbatting: Use up chunks of leftover batting scraps to make a new slab of batting for your next project. If you’re up for it, making Frankenbatting is a way to save some cash and keep scraps out of the landfill. Great for small projects (think table runners, kid quilt or bag).
  • Pattern Matching: Get your glue stick and give your backing fabric a pro finish! I struggle with getting lines, flowers or whatever other design to match on the back, but no more. No. More.
  • T-shirt Quilts: Who hasn’t been asked to make one with high school t-shirts? The very thought of it sounds daunting. Here are thorough instructions for everything from preparing the shirts to finishing the quilt.
  • Labels: I am the worst at making a quilt label because when I’m done, I’m done. And yet, I love seeing labels on quilts. Here, she offers some realistic, non-fussy ways to make a quilt so that people will always know how generous and talented you are.
  • Storage & Care: Gosh, it’s okay to store quilts under the bed? This woman so gets me. She provides some simple and doable tips for keeping your quilts in tip top shape when they’re in use.

 

Bottom line, whether you’re looking for inspo, for tips and techniques, or for your next project, any one of these books will be an excellent addition to your sewing library.

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