| The American Quilt: A History of Cloth and Comfort 1750-1950 | 
 enlarge | Authors: Roderick Kiracofe, Mary Elizabeth Johnson
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Category: Book
List Price: $30.00
Buy New: $18.28
You Save: $11.72 (39%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (10 reviews)
Sales Rank: 33245
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 10.9 x 9.1 x 0.9
ISBN: 1400080967
Dewey Decimal Number: 746.460973
EAN: 9781400080960
ASIN: 1400080967
Publication Date: September 28, 2004
Release Date: September 28, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
For more than two hundred years, American women have been recording their hopes and dreams, their fears and frustrations in the exacting stitches and exuberant designs of their quilts. The American Quilt shows how these virtuoso textiles, long appreciated for their bold graphic appeal and naive charm, are also a fascinating reflection of cultural and social attitudes, painting an indelible portrait of our nation’s history and the remarkable women who lived it.
America of the 18th and 19th centuries developed at a breathtaking pace, and the changes that marked each era were inevitably mirrored in the prevailing quilting styles of the period. The American Quilt marks the first time the evolution of quilting has been traced chronologically, identifying the fabric, design, and construction hallmarks of each period and showing the genesis of beloved patterns and styles. A thorough discussion of America’s textile history, complete with a fabric time-line, provides further insight into antique quilts, offering important clues to their age and provenance.
The American Quilt charts the course of quilting in America, from the earliest whole-cloth and broderie perse quilts through the emergence of the block style in all its regional and popular permutations. Special sections are devoted to quilt subgenres, including Amish quilts, Baltimore Album quilts, mourning quilts, and African-American quilts, that are highly prized by collectors today.
Quilt collectors will also find helpful information on displaying, storing, and caring for quilts, as well as an exhaustive directory of dealers and quilt collections that have been updated for this edition.
Filled with more than 250 photographs of rarely seen quilts and delightful evocations of quilting’s colorful past, The American Quilt is a thought-provoking and important step forward in our ever-expanding knowledge of this remarkable folk art.
“[The American Quilt] offers a profusely illustrated survey that ingeniously weaves the threads of America’s social, political, economic, and industrial history into the evolution of the quilt-making arts.” —New York Times
“A longtime dealer of antique quilts, Kiracofe has given us a guide to evaluating and dating old quilts, and has included methods of tracking down the makers, and advice on their cleaning, storage, hanging, and restoration. A pleasure for the generalist, this book will be indispensable to serious students and collectors.” —Washington Post
“A must for any serious student of quilts.” —Quilter’s Notebook
A “classic quilt tome.”—USA Today
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
A Must Have for quilters! April 28, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I love this book, having received it last week. I read it cover to cover by the second day it arrived. I have already picked it up again to research a specific quilt type. A wealth of information and wonderful color photographs of numerous quilts. I recommend this book highly for those of you who are looking for inspiration, as there are no patterns. All in all, quality reference material.
This is a classic November 29, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'm very picky when I purchase books because I want them to be worthy of my time, money, and shelf space. This book fits all of my needs! It contains excellent information about the history & culture of quilts and has fabulous photographs. It's 264 pages have a welcome spot on my shelf.
Phenomenal reference book for quilters and historians June 4, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
As a history buff, Civil War reenactor, and (very) beginning quilter, I wanted a basic reference book to help me learn about quilting styles and techniques from the Colonial through Victorian periods. This book provides that information and much more. In simple yet evocative language the authors lead us through the development of American quilting and discuss how social, economic, and political circumstances affected how quilts were designed and constructed over the years.
This book is a fascinating glimpse into the past, tracing the evolution of our country through the stitches of quilting. The supplies and tools that were available at any given time, together with the imagination and ingenuity of women at each point in history, resulted in the emergence of new techniques and designs. It's amazing to page through this book and see how something as seemingly simple as a quilt block takes on a whole new meaning in the context of its time. For example, in the 1840s, a time of migration to the West: "As family and friends were uprooted and separated from one another, a great many women carried quilts composed of blocks with precious messages from those left behind, whom they would likely never see again."
Chapters include:
Fabrics - fiber production; weaving and dyeing; fabric printing; fabric designers
1750-1825 Preindustrial America - how the settling of the colonies related to trade and in particular the production of fabric; seaports; the role of women in the New World; quilt styles of the period including whole-cloth, medallion, and mosaic piecework
1825-1850 Rise of the Cult of Domesticity - how social and economic changes were reflected in the fabric arts; women working in the mills; friendship and album quilts
1850-1875 A Tranquil Nation is Ripped Apart - reform movements; effects of the Civil War; children's and dolls' quilts; new block designs; indigo and white designs; influence of the sewing machine
1875-1900 The Grand Epoch - prosperity in the centennial period; effect of availability of education; crazy quilts; log cabin quilts; decorative styles shown at the Centennial Exposition of 1876; Hawaiian quilts; mourning quilts; fundraising quilts
1900-1950 A New Century of Quiltmaking Begins - influences of the World Wars, Depression, and the New Deal; small piece "competitive" quilts; fairs and exhibitions; African-American women's quilting; Amish quilting; flour and feed sack quilting; 20th century quilting personalities
Additional resources include tips on dating and investigating antique quilts, how to conserve and maintain antique quilts, where to view antique quilts, and more.
'The American Quilt' has hundreds of beautiful color plates of quilts, quilt blocks, and textiles. This is a lovely and engrossing book for anyone interested in American history or women's history, as well as in quilting and other fabric arts. Highly recommended.
Invaluable Addition to your Quilt Library May 26, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
The benchmark of quilt book histories. Anyone interested in the history of quilting in America should include this book in their library. The photographs are striking and the accompanying explanations add to the reader's knowledge of the quilter's stories. The author's have given the quilter a priceless resource to which I refer often.
Wonderful book, wonderful service! May 13, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Thank you so much for the fast shipment and the wonderful book!!!
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