Improv Quilt Book Recommendations

If you want to explore the liberating art form of improv quilt design, there’s no better way to start than with a great book.

Unlike traditional quilting, where patterns and precise measurements guide the process, improv quilting encourages spontaneity, experimentation, and a focus on color, line, and shape.

Whether you’re looking for inspiration, techniques, or a deeper understanding of improv quilting, these book recommendations are a great place to start!

I was introduced to Irene Roderick and her amazing quilts through an interview I watched on Youtube. I immediately fell in love with her composition and construction process! This book, Improve Quilting, Dancing with the Wall, is my top pick!

Irene’s book is filled with visual inspiration and illustrates her step by step design and sewing process. Improv quilting is difficult to teach because…well…it is intuitive and each quilt is different.

But…she has captured the process beautifully and has instructions for creating your own quilt, block by block. If you are new to improv quilting…this is the perfect way to start.

Construction of improv work can be tricky but her book illustrates techniques that give you many “Aha” moments!

My number two pick is The Improv Handbook fro Modern Quilters, by Sherri Lynn Wood

I was also introduced to Sherri Wood through a Youtube demonstration! Clearly I had a lot of time on my hands while I was recovering for Covid and some other nasty virus last month! I liked Sherri’s easy going process and so I ordered her book from the library.

Here are a few things she says when answering the question: What is Improv?

-working without a plan, thinking on your feet, figuring out as you go, making do with what you have, problem-solving, taking risks, creating spontaneously, freedom from perfection, and breaking the rules!

Her book includes Exploring color, Patchwork techniques, and How to finish your quilt.

My third and fourth picks are Jean Wells book, Intuitive color & Design and Rayna Gillman’s Create Your own Improv Quilts. Both of these books I recommend for beginners.

From Intuitive color &Design 

From Create Your Own Improve Quilts 

These books have fun construction techniques that are informative and helpful for your first “no rules and no rulers” quilting. You will find how to cut and sew curves in Jean’s book, and interesting block construction with squares and stripes in Rayna’s book.

Recommendations five and six are both for inspiration! Nancy Crow is the pioneer of intuitive quilting. I’ve taken week long workshops at her barn in Ohio and they were transformative! So…any book by Nancy Crow will be eye candy for your quilting heart!

I also highly recommend any book by Philippa Naylor for machine quilting. Her quilts are bright and bold and meticulously designed and finished. I attended an in-person workshop with Phillippa and learned her creative process which is different than other improv quilters. It is explained in her book Quilting in the Limelight as well as her process for free motion quilting! And…check out the multi piping finish process she uses on her quilts! It is stunning!

Number seven pick is Color Essentials by Amanda Murphy. Although this book has traditional quilt projects in it, I think her basic color principles are good references when choosing your color palette for improve quilting. And…I liked the cover image of her book…lol

I hope you enjoy this list of books for intuitive quilting and will share your favorite quilting books below in the comments!