Customer Reviews

This Old Quilt: A Heartwarming Celebration of Quilts And Quilting Memories

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THIS OLD QUILT is a delightful patchwork of quilts, stories, art illustrations and vintage photographs. I was fascinated from the first moment and didn't want to put the book down.

There are five chapters in THIS OLD QUILT and they offer stories about learning to quilt; the quilting traditions of the Amish, Hopi Indians and African Americans; the warmth and love that comes from homemade quilts; the camaraderie of quilting bees; and many lovely stories and poems concerning the American tradition of quilting.

I was so happy to see many of the paintings of Sandi Wickersham that were used to illustrate this book. Sandi lives close by and much of her work is indicative of my area of Virginia. I own a few of her prints and it was fun to find them featured in THIS OLD QUILT. Several other artists including Diane Phalen's work was also used in the book. Their colorful and detailed quilting scenes add an extra layer of depth and pleasure to the book.

I poured over the vintage photographs that are mostly black and white or color enhanced. The ladies from the past are shown displaying their work or sitting among friends and quilting together. One 1936 Depression Era photograph is so striking! It's of a lady standing on the porch of a wooden cabin and displaying her gorgeous quilt that was made in the Dresden Plate pattern. The viewer senses that inside that unpainted cabin, life was probably pretty difficult, but this lady was able to make a work of art out of scraps, and a picture of her beautiful quilt endures for all of us to admire.

There are many lovely stories to read and enjoy, of both fact and fiction. My favorites are: HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT by Whitney Otto, THE PERSIAN PICKLE CLUB by Sandra Dallas and HIDDEN IN PLAIN VIEW by Jacqueline Tobin. THIS OLD QUILT is a treasure trove of quilting, memories and lovely pictures. I'm so happy that I treated myself to this endearing book.

It has been said that "Every quilt tells a story." This Old Quilt tells 'The story of every quilt.' The book warms the hearts and educates the minds of quilters and non-quilters, lovers of the art and collectors of lore. As every enthusiastic quilter, collector of quilts and lover of history can tell you, there is an amazing history within the squares of each handmade quilt and in each individual pattern. The artists very spirit goes into each individual stitch, into every created square, and full circle into the completion of the pattern. Some quilts tell stories, some relay history, some give direction to the wayward and some point the direction to freedom. The editor of this collection sews together a wonderful array of memories, essays, short stories, lore, and historical accounts of quilts involved at every stage from a wide variety of writers. I highly recommend this collection to anyone interested in quilting and also to those of us who just enjoy reading a great book under the warmth of an old quilt. A heartwarming and inspiring collection of interesting facts, experiences, fiction, and heritage lays waiting in these pages. Wrap yourself up in your favorite old quilt, pour yourself a warm 'cup o' joe' and enjoy these intriguing and heartwarming stories in front of a simmering fire. You will love learning something new.

Aptly edited by Margaret Aldrich and featuring contributions by Alice Walker, Terry McMillan, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, Whitney Otto, Patricia J. Cooper, and Norma Bradley Allen, The Old Quilt: A Heartwarming Celebration Of Quilts And Quilting Memories is a coffee-table sized anthology of stories and memoirs relating to quilts, quilt folklore, and history to intrigue quilters of all predilections. Lavish color photographs, artwork, quilt patterns, and even the occasional cartoon liven the tales with dazzling visual appeal. Wry stories and incredible illustrations make The Old Quilt truly a "must" for any needlecrafting enthusiast of quilts and quilting!

This book is a necessity for anyone who enjoys not only
quilting but the art of crafts. It is wonderfully written
and illustrated and successfully portrays the beauty that
is captured through the art of quilt making.

THis is the perfect book for people who like to look at old quilts; I love them, they are traditional quilts with stories about people from back then, and very interesting photos. I bought 2 books, one for my mom in GErmany, one for me, and we talk back and forth about the different pages. I think this is the most wonderful book ever! A happy-maker

This work is very informative and has many insights to the world of quilting.This Old Quilt has many humorous connotations of the authors start as a fledgling quilter visiting the Amish until she soon becomes immersed in the world of quilting.

I really enjoyed this book. It is a detailed look at quilting as is was in the past. Learned a lot.