Customer Reviews

Spirits of the Cloth: Contemporary African American Quilts

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I received this wonderful book from my son,(via an Amazon gift certificate) for Mother's Day. It is very meaningful because I've had the pleasure of meeting and viewing the works of several of the featured artists including the author. The women are as warm and vibrant as their creations and willing to share their God-given talent with emerging quilters like myself. The colors in this book leap off the pages and wrap themselves around you , just as the original quilts were meant to do. I agree with another reviewer; even if I didn't know which end of the needle to thread this will be a most cherished gift. I am extremely & excitedly inspired.

The book is displayed proudly in my home. I read the book and enjoyed the narratives on each chapter and the comments of each artist. I was very pleased to see the different "twists" and "spins" of each artists work. Looking at the pictures, you can almost touch the colors, textures and the spirit of the work. I've been to several art shows in which some of the featured artists work were on display. I had the opportunity to attend a quilt show in Huntsville AL to hear Yvonne Wells talk about her work and I was extremely pleased that the works of quilt artists are being highlighted in one woman/man shows. The book was long overdue!!!!! Thank you to the artist C. Mazloomi!!!

My daughter bought this book for me and I will be forever in her debt for doing so. I am a fairly new quilter, and have been looking a long time for quilts that would reflect the african diaspora. This one does it in spades. The colors and artistic expression of the quilts is unparalled. Kudos to those who submitted quilts. It has been an inspiration to me.

Call me biased, but I am eminently proud and awe with the dedication and hard work that is shown in Dr.Malzoomi's book. And the honor of being one of the quilters featured makes my chest swell! I think this is a must read for both serious and casual readers. I was happy to share space with Andriene Cruz who inadvertenly started me to quilt after I was captivated by seeing a feature of her works in Threads magazine a few years ago.My favorites are Andriene Cruz "Tutu Egub", Sandy Barrett Hassan"s "Free South Africa II" ,Janet Baily's "Which window is yours?", Virginia Harris'"Wild Thing" and lastly "He" by Viola Leake. Every time I open the both I find something new and arresting to study, so I always have a new favorite. And the text is highly informative. To be in the company of these wonderful quilters makes me feel special since I've only been" laying hands on cloth " four years. For FYI I'm on pages 119 &133. I definitely look forward when Dr. Malzoomi decides to enchant us with an update. The book is a MUST HAVE!

If you're looking for inspiration for your quilt making, this is the book. It's like taking a walk through a museum of history and culture. Filled with color photos.

Having the pleasure of seeing the traveling exhibit of "Spirits of the Cloth" before it became a book was the first thrill! Having met one of the quilters through an African American Quilting group on Prodigy, it is now a pleasure and privilege to see not only the work of Kyra Hicks in full color, but also those of the many talented artists in this art form. It is a book that makes it possible to take quilting beond its borders and add new dimensions to the concept of quilting! Way to go, artists in this book!

When I first read Roland Freeman's book, A Communion of the Spirit, I was in awe. I did not think that his book could be topped. I was wrong. When I read Carolyn Mazloomi's book, Spirits of the Cloth, it just took my breath away. I as well as some of my creative kindred spirits are in the book. Carolyn has allow us a forum for displaying our talents. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Many of my e-mail friends have already purchased the book. Copies were purchased by my Almamater for the Library, as well as Art Dept. Thank you Carolyn & Roland for hearing/seeing our voices. When words are too deep, there are always "art quilts".

Adriene Cruz' "Divine Guardian" on the book jacket is an apt appetizer for the smorgasbord that awaits every person who opens Carolyn Mazloomi's SPIRITS OF THE CLOTH.

In a culture that still perceives quilting as a utilitarian craft, one's senses are not prepared for the bombardment of first class ART. The colors and techniques defy verbal description.

If I were periodically asked to arrange my favorite quilts numerically, the order would probably change each time with the exception of placing Marie Wilson's "Reprise" first. On this quilt, she answers the question, "What is a Woman?" using silhouettes to denote how society defines women and colorful, actual likenesses of women of achievement.

What Wilson's quilt does to the "woman myth", Mazloomi's book does to the myth of THE African-American quilt. Loudly and proudly, this book takes the quilt definition away from the "scholars" and lays it squarely in the laps of those creative women and men who make them.

This coffee table book deserves a place in your home!

Carolyn Mazloomi has truly cllected an array of African American quilts second to none! What first strikes me is the vividness of these quilts. The colors are bold. The shapes of some of the quilts defy description. The subjects and the techniques used are daringly varied. One of my favorites is Virginia R. Harris' :Wild Thing". The piece measures 77" x 87". Look closely, every single bit of material is no more than a sliver. The hours and the patience that went into this work was not in vain. "Ancient Mother's Visitation" combines several types of fabric in a beautifully symbolic piece. There are also quilts created by nationally-known male quilters. Michael Cumming's "Dreams Deferred" memorializes the children who were killed in the Oklahoma City bombing. "Lift Every Voice and Sing" by Roland L. Freeman is at once bold, yet muted; simple, yet complex; simber, yet bright with hope. My favorite, bcause I know the quilter and the subject, is "Aunt Alzeda's Sunday Concerts". This is a story quilt created for a family reunion and presented to the subject matriarch as a surprise. And finally, one which will not easily be forgotten, "Come into My Garden". Bet you'll never see another 'garden' like the one Frances Hare has created! The book is so inspiring that you will share it at work, at church, at gatherings much as many of us share stories in e-mail.

Spirits of the Cloth: Contemporary African American Quilts is excellent! So interesting, and I learned so much about African American quilter makers. I especially enjoyed seeing the photos of the quilts.