Quilting News of Yesteryear: Crazy as a Bed Quilt [Hardcover]

Sue Reich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2008

From the early 1880s through the second quarter of the twentieth century, American women made crazy quilts in colossal numbers. The velvets, satins, silks, wools and cottons of the crazy quilt era reflect abundance in the economy of the society-at-large. Just as they filled their scrapbook albums with trade cards, calling cards, photos and memorabilia, crazy quilt makers embellished their quilts with their most favorite things. The result was newsworthy...literally. Newspapers picked up on the accomplishments of these talented women and shared them with their communities. This new book contains over 200 newspaper articles dating from 1880 to 1945, that trace crazy quilt patterns and articles in women's magazines and pamphlets. The fascinating text is illustrated with quilts that are contemporary to the source articles. All of the pictures are close-ups, showing intricate piecing and extensive embellishment. This unusual book enriches the history and appreciation of the quilt as art.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing (February 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076432795X
• ISBN-13: 978-0764327957
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,470,426 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #91 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Postcards

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Love this informative book!, March 18, 2008

By 

Cindy Brick (Castle Rock, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Quilting News of Yesteryear: Crazy as a Bed Quilt (Hardcover)

It's not often you get to see a quilt style from the viewpoint of a generation of quiltmakers that made it big! This is an unusual book...it's chockful of quotes and stories about Crazy quilts from a wide variety of 19th century periodicals and newspapers. Mentions are far and wide, funny and serious, and include many hard-to-find sources. (Sue also did a similar book for patchwork...it's listed on Amazon, as well: ASIN:0764325957 Quilting News of Yesteryear: 1,000 Pieces and Counting)

What makes this book even more interesting is its format -- each quote is set against a backdrop of beautiful, detailed photos of antique Crazies in all their glory. Page after page of pattern, color and design gives you inspiration for your own work.

I've set CRAZY AS A BEDQUILT by a favorite chair, so I can dip into it now and again for another juicy nibble of quilt history. This book belongs in your library -- it's inspiring, easy on the eye, and provides information you won't find anywhere else.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crazy for Crazy Quilts, August 2, 2008

By 

Herbal Betty (Catskills) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Quilting News of Yesteryear: Crazy as a Bed Quilt (Hardcover)

If you are an avid crazy quilter, like me, and are into the history of crazy quilts, this book is a wealth of information gleaned from period sources. I found it educational, humorous and thought provoking. To see how women were treated and written about in Victorian versus modern times is interesting. If you crazy quilt, you need this book.