Quilt-Block History of Pioneer Days (Library Binding)

~ (Author), Jan Davey Ellis (Illustrator) "A quilt is a warm bedcovering made of three layers-top, padding, and backing-that are stitched or tied together with thread..." (more)
Key Phrases: quilt blocks, pioneer families, United States, Ohio River

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-6?A really-truly-kids-can-do-it history/art project book. Cobb's well-written text will hold youngsters' interest, and the information about pioneer life is neatly tied to particular quilts, illustrated with simple, colorful watercolor sketches. Best of all, the projects use a pattern, cut paper, and paste, and range from a bookmark to a greeting card to a recipe folder. All can be easily completed in one session. With no sewing, the crafts are accessible to readers of virtually any age. Each of the 10 chapters shows labeled quilt blocks hanging on a clothesline; in all, there are over 50 different patterns represented. An excellent, short bibliography and complete index make this a great addition to early American history studies. A double-page map of the United States features the major wagon trails and their names as well as the cities each trail connected. Seldom does one see a history-oriented craft book so simply, cleanly, and accurately executed. The format is attractive, with large type surrounded by lots of white space. Ellis's illustrations add style and suggest ways to continue the quilt pattern with complementary border treatments.?Carole B. Kirkpatrick, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3^-6. Presenting the history of American pioneers through the quilts they made, this appealing book links common experiences of the period with various quilt patterns. For instance, the chapter "Going West" shows a map of pioneer trails and a picture of quilt blocks named "Rocky Road to Kansas," "Hill and Valley," "Rocky Glen," and "Trial of the Covered Wagons." It also provides a pattern based on a quilt block named "Broken Dishes," which children can reproduce in construction paper and use as a geometric puzzle. Paper craft projects in other chapters include bookmarks, hanging ornaments, a folded-paper box, a greeting card, a weather diary, a recipe folder, and a quilt-block collage. Watercolor paintings and quiltlike borders brighten the pages of this attractive book. Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Library Binding: 64 pages
• Publisher: Millbrook Press (March 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1562944851
• ISBN-13: 978-1562944858
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,992,579 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book about quilts and the westward movement., December 22, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Quilt-Block History of Pioneer Days: With Projects Kids Can Make (Hardcover)

I LOVED this book that explains how patchwork quilt designs developed from the need of the pilgrims to repair the covers they had....to the use of the patch designs to tell the story of the growth of America. The story is easy to understand, the sequence is well defined, the illustrations are beautiful, and the activities are easy and creative. I think this book would be a valuable teaching aid to accompany studies on U.S. history. If you are a quiltlover, you just have to have this book!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quilting in Pioneer Days, February 20, 2006

By	J. Lynch (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Quilt Block History of Pioneer Days (Paperback)

I was asked to present a quilting demonstration for 144 4th graders during their "Pioneer Day" study. As references I secured several books, magazines, articles, etc. The Quilt Block History of Pioneer Days was by far the best. The projects outlined in the book for children to do corresponding with the story were easy to do and could really help today's child relate to life in pioneer times.

I would recommend this book for anyone interested in quilting history, but especially for adults working with children.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent, December 18, 2006

By	rn "rn" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Quilt Block History of Pioneer Days (Paperback)

I bought this book for my 1st grader who is starting to quilt. It has a nice, very basic history of the westward movement & how quilts tied in with it & were used at the time. The craft projects in the book are very nice, & would make nice small gifts for children to give whether or not they have any acess to sewing equipment. They may also inspire interest in starting to quilt in some, and the squares shown are a nice selection of begining squares to choose from for a child to make their own first sampler.

Overall excellent & a great book for hopefully starting younger kids on a a folk art form we don't want to lose. My daughter is very excited that something she does was done by the pioneers & that she can do it herself, just like them.

(A nice aside is that the book also points out that kids actually had to do chores & lots of them back then, rather than park it in front of the TV all the time-doesn't make what I ask seem so bad by comparison :)).