I couldnt agree more. The quilting is so important and unless you have been at it a long time, its hard to find the right pattern

I have an old quilt book (copyright 1994) that I refer to often. It's called "Quilting Makes the Quilt" by Lee Cleland and published by That Patchwork Place. They take about a dozen different quilts and show how each quilt looks quilted in about a half dozen different ways. They DO analyze the quilting and it helps you get a better grip on this aspect of the whole quilt. Maybe you can find a copy on Amazon. Good luck. (I'm not a fan of the brush-off of quilting options either!)

How you quilt it does not really matter all that much, it is completely up to you? Are you going to free motion, take it to some one who does quilting or whatever. I think it is o k for the person doing a pattern to focus on the directions of how to put a top together.

Your suggestion of a book with different quilting done on several of the same quilt pattern is basically what quilt guilds do and call it a quilt challenge. They take the same pattern and fabric, make several of the same quilt and different people quilt them in their own way. If you attend quilt shows, look for quilt challenges. You'll see up close how different quilting enhances or detracts from a quilt pattern. Take a camera along and take lots of pictures-far away and up close-to help remember.

I have it and it is wonderful, but I'm not willing to part with it. I use it in my teaching. If you can get a copy of it from Alibris or Amazon, it is well worth the price. I think I have had it about 20 years. Good luck on finding it.

I agree this one also is wonderful. I also have it and use it in my teaching.

You'd better hold on to it! I have that book but once I thought I had lost it. Looked online for it and all I could find was a copy for $75.00!!!!!!!!! Crazy! Thank God I found mine!

For anyone looking for the Quilting Makes the Quilt book - here's a link for it for $13.48 plus shipping.

http://quilthome.com/product_info.ph...ducts_id/12803

Besides the books "Quilt It!" by Barabra Chainey and "Quilting makes the Quilt" by Lee Cleland I can suggest two more books regarding this interesting topic.
"A Fine Line" by Melody Crust and Heather Waldron Tewell. As far as I know it is still available.
"Quilting with Style" by Gwen Marston and Joe Cunningham. This should be available second hand.
IMHO both books can be very helpful. I have learned a lot although I am not doing patchwork quilts.

Agree......