Customer Reviews

Massachusetts Quilts: Our Common Wealth

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Massachusetts, being one of the more important states in America's cotton textile history, lends itself to meaningful research of its quilts made in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. 6000 quilts filled the research pool in this state documentation project. What resulted is this book of splendid historical and scholarly text accompanied by beautiful photography. This is a textile and quilt history book, not just a quilt book or coffee table book. The provenance accompanying the quilts is impressive with many added details that broaden the picture and give the reader historical context. This makes the book more worthwhile as a reference and genealogists might be interested in it. The quilts are accompanied by family photos when possible and the family history. Close-up pictures are scattered throughout, as well as photos of related items for making quilts.

This book is wonderfully done. The pictures are gorgeous, the narrative is well written. I own many quilt history books from the individual states and this is clearly one of the best. The inclusion of items that were quilted beside bedding were such a nice addition. I had never heard of quilted petticoats until I read my book. This is a must for anyone interested in quilt history. I also appreciated the way the book was divided on subjects. Well done and a pleasure to own.

As a member of a quilt study group,this incredibly detailed book is a must have for its content and the quilts that are represented. I have a particular interest in signature quilts and was overwhelmed by the examples that are featured. This book is destined to be one of the greats. Buy it now while in print or, like Barbara Brackman's books that are out of print, the price will soon be beyond reach.

An outstanding work. In depth documentation, well written and excellent photography. Of value to anyone seriously interested in quilt history.

Massachusetts Quilts is a definite must for anyone interested in quilts and their makers. This book presents quilts dating from the 18th century to the first half of the 20th century that were cataloged as part of the Massachusetts Quilt Documentation Project, which began in 1994. What sets this book apart from other state books is the depth of the information, not only about each quilt, but the historical context in which they were made.
The writers expand the information beyond specific quilts and makers to show that these historical fiber documents are signifiers of a much wider realm than the household they resided in; they are manifestations of the social, cultural, economic, technological, political and religious aspects of their time.
This book is a rich and beautiful way to appreciate material culture and how it developed and changed with the times. There is a wide variety of quilt types to please everyone with excellent photos as well as detail shots and images of the various time periods.

What a great antique quilt reference book. While not for everyone, if you do enjoy history and the quilts from older times - this is a great book and well worth purchasing.

Anyone who has pushed a needle through layers of cloth and batting knows she has a powerful motivation for doing so. As Marla Miller observes in her Introduction, quilts are heavily laden with meaning which can affect one profoundly even without being directly associated with the makers. Here, we are given a rare opportunity to experience quilts in this way, with one example after another only because this group of devoted scholars pushed to gain, organize and extract meaning from a mind-boggling amount of information, and publish it. Descriptive, anecdotal and documentation information for each object is placed within a context of cultural, political and technological circumstances that directly or indirectly informed the makers of these quilted objects (for we are shown clothing as well). You don't have to come from Massachusetts to justify purchasing this book. And I even recommend it for persons who don't think they care about quilts! This book is rich in history not only for quilt lovers, but anyone. It moves the reader beyond the realm of pieces and stitches to that of the maker and her turn of mind, her world.

This charming book is coffee table sized and I wish that the plates were bigger. The quilts are surprising in their complexity and colors and I really like the stories of who made them and how they were used. Amazing the work that went into them. For all quilters. Especially those who like to know what came before. You don't need to know Massachusetts or New England to appreciate this book.

A good source, but focuses on specific historical quilts in major collections around New England, rather than in generic information about iconography, methods, materials etc. as a guide to understanding the quilts you may have inherited.