The Quilter's Guide to Amish Quilts [Paperback]

Jan Jefferson (Author), Maggi McCormick Gordon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 28, 2003

Prized by collectors the world over, Amish quilts are beloved for their simple beauty and enduring grace. You can recreate these lovely quilts at home, even if you are a beginning quilter. Ten of the most popular Amish quilt designs are included in this oversized, fully-illustrated book, along with cutting guides listing fabric requirements and measurements, reusable pattern templates, trace-off quilting motifs, and complete instructions for cutting, stitching and marking. Interposed among the quilt designs are fascinating features on Amish history and culture, as well as some 300 color photographs showing the quilting techniques you'll employ and scenes of Amish life. In addition to the traditional Bars and Center Diamond patterns, you'll find such creative modern designs as the Lancaster Rose, Sunshine and Shadow, Schoolhouse, Shoo-Fly, Nine-Patch and others, each reflecting the peace, simplicity and humility that are at the core of Amish values.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jan Jefferson is a social historian and collector of quilts, and lectures on Amish quilts in the UK and Europe. Maggi McCormick Gordon is a book editor, consultant and author specializing in needlecraft titles. She is the author of The Book of Home Sewing and The Quilting Source Book, as well as co-author of American Quilt Classics. Maggi lives in West London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Collins & Brown (May 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855856557
• ISBN-13: 978-1855856554
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,237,831 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like having a private teacher., August 6, 2007

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Never enough books - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Quilter's Guide to Amish Quilts (Paperback)

The reason that most of my book reviews are 5 stars is because I usually check the book out of my library system before making a decision to purchase it; that or I've seen it in a shop and want to get a bargain on a used one. Since the morning I saw Joe Cunningham on Alex Anderson's TV quilt show, I've wished I had taped that show. He made everything look so straightforward and do-able, but I did not catch the whole show. I began looking for a how-to book on Amish quilts, even bought a few. Some of the books I looked at have limited instruction in the actual making of the quilts, or have directions for miniature ones, and some of them are just pretty pictures with the history of the Amish and their quilts. This book has excellent directions and photos for constructing the full size quilt tops from start to finish, and also includes photos and history of the Amish communities. An aspect of this book that is very important to me is that the user does not need to keep referring backward or forward to another chapter in following the steps in making the quilt top. Most quilt books have a very large general section in the front, then get to the specific construction per item, group the color photos of completed quilts in the center, and conclude with a section on tips and finishing. Those books are like reading a mystery with a dictionary in the other hand, disruptive to the flow of thought. They are probably alright for the experienced quilter, but not the beginner. Not so with this book. You get the beautiful quilt photos and the history right along with the very specific instructions for each one, then get to a short section each on how to cut templates, sew by hand or machine, and two pages on putting the quilt sandwich together. There is nothing in here that will tell you how to perfect your quilting stitch, but it will surely show you how to get to that point, and two different ways to finish the edges when the quilting is completed.