'Art Quilt Maps' by Valerie S. Goodwin is an excellent book for beginning art quilters. Art Quilt Maps, like any art quilting book, does not include direct patterns on how to produce an exact replica of the artist's work. Goodwin lists materials and how to use them, including paints, making stencils to use, fusing fibers onto your quilt, and more. She gives ideas for developing your ideas, using actual maps, imaginary 'virtual' quilts, and a combination of the two. You will learn to develop a background for your map, creating lines for your map, adding stones and landscape items, and how to add a translucent layer on the top of your quilt.

Goodwin does not leave you hanging when it comes to what your finished project might look like. In Art Quilt Maps, the author has included pictures of many art quilts that she has finished and that her students have made.

I really like this book because of all the instructions and examples that Goodwin has included, and prompts for developing your own quilt inspiration. Given that maps are everywhere, including the ones that we see in our hearts and heads, we will never run out of quilts to make!
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