Hi Siobhan.
Penny's probably replied to you, but she's invisible to me, so I have some book recommendations for you:
The Art and Craft of Appliqué: Juliet Bawden Mitchell Beazley. 1991. ISBN: 0 85533 921 7
The Art of the Needle: designing in fabric and thread. Jan Beaney Century Hutchinson Ltd. 1988. ISBN: 0 7126 1942 9
Stylish Sewing: techniques for quilted and embellished clothing. Patricia Nelson Martingale & Company. 2000. ISBN: 1 56477 299 3
The Merehurst book of needlework Merehurst Ltd. 1993. ISBN: 1 85391 109 7
There are proper reviews of these books, and about 140 others on my website, if you want to take a look. Email me and I'll give you the addy.
:) Trish