Quilting Pieces of the Past (Better Homes & Gardens) [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Better Homes and Gardens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 5, 2004 | Series: Better Homes & Gardens

Spectacular photos showcase popular quilt patterns spanning 175 years.

Historical information provides quilters with fascinating insight into what influenced colors, fabrics, and patterns over time.

Basic how-to instructions make it easy for quilters of all skill levels to replicate favorite designs from years gone by.

Instructions include the quilt schematic, yardage needed, and construction tips to help quilters complete projects.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Better Homes and Gardens (October 5, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0696221624
• ISBN-13: 978-0696221620
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #601,919 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars So-So, October 26, 2005

By 

Serene (Marina, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Quilting Pieces of the Past (Better Homes & Gardens) (Hardcover)

Better Home and Gardens knows how to produce a high quality book. The binding is nice, the presentation clear, and the photos are pretty. So why am I rating this book 3 stars?

Nothing in this book really grabbed me and made me feel that I really wanted to attempt to recreate it. I mean, look at the cover. Someone clearly went through a lot of trouble to make that avocado-colored T-Square quilt. And frankly I think it would look pretty bad on a bed. It looks nice in the photo, because you can't see most of it. Which brings me down to my second beef with this book- how the quilts are photographed. If a quilt is intended for a bed, why does the photographer crumple it and drape it over a chair? How can I tell what it looks like when its hidden? And its not just one quilt, but most of the photos are like that. Irrititating. Also, not a big fan of appliqué....

So, as a book with nice photos of plain-looking quilts this book is fine. But as a book of future projects I found it to unhelpful. 3 stars.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Many beautiful quilts, fun historical insight, January 24, 2006

By 

Suzanne (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Quilting Pieces of the Past (Better Homes & Gardens) (Hardcover)

I love this book! It is packed with projects and pretty photos - and the historical information is a fun way to deepen your understanding of the history of this art form.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Opinions about quilting books. . ., August 25, 2006

By 

Julie H. Rose - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Quilting Pieces of the Past (Better Homes & Gardens) (Hardcover)

I took this book out of my library and plan to buy it. I think it's inspiring; I love the quilts and they make me think about ways to vary them. I enjoy the historical information. The book is a bit sketchy in its' isntructions in places. If one is a rank beginner, it might be frustrating. I'm an "endless beginner"; have never mastered finer points of patchwork and quilting and probably never will. Technical quilt piecing wizardry has never interested me.

I love Kaffe Fassett's books and this book, to me, is almost an American version of what he does; nothing really tricky, but good use of simple forms and materials to create impressive and generally bold quilts.

I've been looking to expand my collection of quilting books and find the reviews interesting; I suggest taking them all with a grain of salt. Everyone has their own taste. One persons' boring quilt is another persons' masterpiece.