Rec me a book, please! Or, y'know, several...
 

For me, half the fun of any new hobby is collecting the books that go along with it. Keeping in mind that I am a beginner (that is, beginning quilter, experienced with sewing), please rec me your favorite go-to quilting book. I'm looking more for patterns and ideas--particularly patchwork and strip quilts--than I am how-to's, since I have several of those already.

So go ahead, hit me!

I enjoy the pattern books by Jennifer Chiaverini - I like the patterns, and I also like the tie-in with her fictional Elm Creek books.

For inspiration I love Country Living's Country Quilts (one of the first books I got, so may not be in print any more) and otherwise I just tend to delve into whatever looks good.

Have you tried the quilting/sewing section at your library? Could be good to experiment and see if you actually want to commit to buying a book (depending how up to date their selection is!)

Eleanor Burns' books and the Better Homes and Garden Complete Guide to Quilting

You can never go wrong with any of the books that Eleanor Burns write, Her patterns are clear and give the best possible directions for a great quilt.
If you are looking to branch out a bit ... dip your toe into paper piecing ... Carol Doak has the best books with loads of patterns and clear step by step instructions. I could never part with any of the books I have that she has written.

When I first started quilting, I bought every book that was geared toward beginners. Books like "Idiots Book for Quilters", "Your First Quilting Book"....you get the idea! If the ad or book said I should have it, I bought it. I'm sure those clerks at the bookstore saw me coming!

Eleanor Burns is my favorite. I am looking forward to her new one.

Darn.....wish you had posted this about a month ago. I just got rid of more than 100 quilting books to my local charity. Some of my favorites are the ones put out the the Dutch Quilter......dutchquilter.com.

Wow, Eleanor Burns is very popular! I'll definitely look to see what the library has by her. Anybody else I should look for?

Eleanor Burns is great, especially for beginners. Follow her directions page by page and you'll have a beautiful quilt in no time!

Not only are Eleanor Burns books the easiest to follow but her videos to go with the books are great.
http://quiltinaday.com
go to the television/video button where the media theather has lots of videos. I really enjoy her block party videos.