Amazon.com Review
For Talula Gilbert Bottoms, the author's grandmother and an incredibly prolific quiltmaker, the process of making quilts both enhanced and lengthened her life, and the quilts she left forged connections among her many descendants. And, as the granddaughter reminds us, "Handmade quilts can still cross generations to provide ... those same benefits even in our own fast-moving and uncertain world." Family Ties is a treasury of wonderful quilt patterns (38 in all) based on Talula's creations, which were made in a time before printed patterns were readily available. (She often borrowed quilts from others to draft the designs herself.) Each pattern includes color photos of both Talula's lovely original and a stunning modern interpretation, along with the author's comments about the pattern and its relevance to her grandmother's life. Although this is not a how-to book, there are templates for all the patterns, plus brief construction notes. This is a fascinating glimpse into one woman's life as told through her highly accomplished needlework. --Amy Handy
