After our extensive discussion last week I decided to get to the bottom of the various celtic quilt designers. Here are the results:
Gail Lawther books (Celtic Quilting and More Celtic Quilting) are oriented more for hand quilters. Her first book has many different techniques included (whole cloth, trapunto, patchwork, etc). Her second book has many different projects, not necessarily quilts. She relies on fusible binding or quilt stitching to make the design. Her second book includes stitching designs and several quite lovely projects.
Beth Ann Williams' book Celtic Quilts - A New Look for Ancient Designs will teach you how to make your own bias tubing to use for applique designs. Her book includes many wonderful designs to be done on several different projects. Her appliques can be either machines stitched (several different stitch suggestions) or hand stitched.
Karen Combs book Celtic Pieced Illusions is a pieced quilt design book. This book will teach you how to create your own pieced designs. Each design is based on the use of three separate blocks, the nine patch and two stripped blocks that are even easier to create than the nine patch. This book will not produce the rounded or curved designs that the other two will however in my opinion it is the easiest process to produce a quilt with. This book also includes very good discussions on design, color and tips. There are several different designs with instructions in this book as well as tools for creating your own designs.
If I could only purchase two books I would be tempted to purchase the Karen Combs book for the ease of process and the Gail Lawther Celtic Quilting book for the many, many traceable quilt stitch designs. If you don't want to purchase the Gail Lawther book however you wanted great quilt stitching designs I would do a search on Amazon. There are several books that have wonderful, traceable designs that would make fabulous quilt stitch designs.
That is my 2 cents.