Silk Quilts is the definitive book for quilters and silk lovers on the use of silk in quilts. It explores silk as a fabric, including a wonderful illustrated section on The Silk Road, a series of photographs of the cocoon-to-yarn-to-fabric process, a series of 16th century copper engravings of the European sericulture process, and a series of colorful woodblock prints depicting silk-making in early Japan. The book explains to quilters how to work with silk, overcoming the myths that silk is a difficult, expensive fabric. It includes four quick-and-easy projects to get readers started on their first silk quilts. There are also eight complete quilt patterns, each with full-size templates, step-by-step drawings, and comprehensive instructions. The book is lavishly illustrated in full-color throughout with rarely seen antique quilts from private collections around the world and with stunning contemporary quilts from leading quilt makers in the United States, Europe, the Far East, the Middle East, and Australia. It contains more than 200 full-color photographs of sensational silk quilts. It is the most extensive collection ever published. It offers comprehensive guidance on preparing silks for quilt making - selecting, washing, cutting, and caring for delicate fabrics. It offers eight complete patterns, perfect for making quilts from silks. Hanne Vibeke de Koning-Stapel, an internationally known quilting instructor and collector, is one of Holland's most celebrated quilt artists. Over the last 20 years she has been fascinated by the use of silk as a quilting fabric through the ages, and has traveled worldwide to see antique and contemporary silk quilts, many of which are hidden away in private collections. She visits the United States frequently, teaching quilting at conventions and seminars nationwide.