Quilting for Peace: Make the World a Better Place One Stitch at a Time [Hardcover]

Katherine Bell (Author), Thayer Allyson Gowdy (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2009

As crafters of all ages take to their sewing machines in unprecedented numbers, many of them join a movement to distribute hope and warmth to those in need through quilting. These are volunteers who have inherited a tradition of comfort and protest, and a belief that they can make the world a better place one stitich at a time. 

Quilting for Peace, the follow-up to STC’s Knitting for Peace, profiles these quilters in more than 25 essays about individuals and organizations devoted to making quilts and other necessities for the needy. The efforts range from Newborns in Need, a group that makes clothing for premature babies at nearby hospitals; to Quilts of Valor, which makes quilts to honor wounded soldiers; to the Sleeping Bag Project, which distributes 100,000 homemade sleeping bags to the homeless every year. This timely book also includes 15 projects and guidelines for quilters who want to contribute to an existing effort or establish a new one.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Katherine Bell is a writer, editor, and quilter. Her fiction has appeared in Best American Short Stories 2006, and she works as an online managing editor for Harvard Business Publishing. She lives in Somerville, Massachusetts. Visit her website at www.quiltingforpeace.com.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 136 pages
• Publisher: STC Craft/A Melanie Falick Book; First Edition edition (October 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584798041
• ISBN-13: 978-1584798040
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #429,055 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One Square at a Time, October 2, 2009

By 

Pamela Robinson (Long Island) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Quilting for Peace: Make the World a Better Place One Stitch at a Time (Hardcover)

Quilting for Peace: Make the World a Better Place One Stitch at a Time is wonderful little book, rooted in the urge to do good deeds. Quilters, instead of meeting in old-fashioned quilting bees, often connect through the Internet to share ideas, advice and projects. This book examines efforts made to assist social causes by making quilts for a variety of projects, including:

Firehouse quilts, for firefighters to use at the scene of emergencies

Quilts of Valor, for wounded soldiers

Boise Peace Quilt Project, which makes items to promote peace

Sleeping Bag Project, to warm the homeless

Binky Patrol, for sick or frightened children

Newborns in Need, bedding for hospitalized babies

There's a bit of history included in the book, such as efforts to prepare quilts for hospitalized soldiers during the Civil War. And there are patterns and tips for people wanting to organize for other causes.

This is a very heartwarming book about a group of people who find solutions to problems on their own and bring others into the effort.

Nicely done and a pleasure to read.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quilting for Peace: Make the World a Better Place One Stitch at a Time, November 2, 2009

By 

Regina Anne (OKC, OK) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Quilting for Peace: Make the World a Better Place One Stitch at a Time (Hardcover)

From the women who supplied hand-made bedding to the Northern troops - to hundreds of volunteers supplying quilts to the homeless today -- the goal is the same - - - to show that one small act of kindness 'can' change the world. This book is filled with wonderful projects/opportunities for each of us to do our part. Easy to follow instructions are included.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great source for places to make a difference, March 23, 2010

By 

E. Cresciman (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Quilting for Peace: Make the World a Better Place One Stitch at a Time (Hardcover)

Excellent book. I bought it, not so much for the quilt patterns, but for the information on organizations that accept and disburse quilt donations. If you want to make a difference in the world, "Quilting for Peace" will show you how.