This book is an essential tool for quilters and stitched textile artists who want to break away from traditional designs and develop their own creativity and take their work to a whole new level. This invaluable resource includes: * Inspiration: how to interpret sources of inspiration found in the world around us to provide themes for quilts * Surfaces: creative ways to experiment with surface effects * Design: an overview of the all-important rules of design and how they can be applied to quilts * Colour: explains the basic principles to give the reader colour confidence * Stitch: discusses modern approaches to traditional techniques such as piecing and applique, free machine embroidery, mark-making and embellishment. The author's unique Design Classes and worksheets help to increase confidence through practical exercises, and the book contains over 200 stunning quilts, including examples from the best quilt artists working today.