The most dazzling array of fabric art ever collected in one book.The last several decades of this century have seen an explosion in the design of the art quilt -- textile fields of flat and sculptural design, freed from the conventional boundaries of their roots in practical Americana. The Art Quilt is a magnificently illustrated book that celebrates this exquisite art form.This book places the art quilt historically and also provides a unique look at the studio techniques that have advanced the quilt medium to a new level. The finest contemporary quilters: Michael James, Yvonne Porcella, Julia Pfaff, and Nancy Crow, to mention only a few, pave the way for some of the most beautiful and important art quilts created. The full-color illustrations and informative side bars on important technical processes and leaders in the art quilt field make this sumptuous book a must for any collector or quilter.