Quilts are a reflection of the people who make, use, and cherish them through the years. John Rice Irwin has personally conducted interviews with hundreds of old-time quiltmakers, some of whom were over one hundred years old. Detailed photographs taken by Pulitzer Prize winner Robin Hood depict an opulent conglomeration of quilts, from the community quilt which became known as the Murder Quilt. More importantly, Irwin looks under the quilts, at the lives of the people who created and used them. He explores their ambitions and aspirations, their struggles and disappointments. From the young ladies of Salem Valley who pieced a quilt for the town's most eligible bachelor in the hope that one of them would sleep under it, to the retired physician who began quilting in his late sixties to fill his spare time, Irwin presents their stories with compassion and candor. This lavishly illustrated volume is a treasure trove of creative needlework, colorful anecdotes, and intriguing personal histories which will entertain readers of all ages.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Humane & understanding,
By A Customer
This review is from: A People and Their Quilts (Hardcover)
This book is superb & worth the extra effort to special order it. The author interviews women (and a few men) of Southern Appalachia, where quilting as a mainstay of life has never really gone out of fashion -- hence they've never had a quilting "revival" either. Photographs are gorgeous, and the stories about the people make you feel rooted to the land. One of the more intriguing stories is the "Hanging Elephant" quilt, which shows an applique block of an elephant being hung for the crime of killing a Tennessee man in 1916. The book is printed on heavy, high quality paper. Quilt history buffs and anthropologists will love this book. As for hobbyists, it's not a how-to book, but the photographs will furnish much inspiration and food for thought.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely breathtaking,
By A Customer
This review is from: People and Their Quilts (Paperback)
I bought this book while visiting Williamsburg with a friend. It so captured my attention that I had to read some of the stories to my companion. We were both quickly enthralled. I brought it back with me and introduced my quilting group to it. Several more copies sold the next day. The stories are heart warming. The photographs are incredible. The man who picked up quilting only after his wife passed. Well. Just amazing. The wedding quilt made in the late 1800s by friends and relatives of the bride. Awe inspiring. This book is not a "how to" book. But if you are interested in quilts, quilting and quilters, it is a must for your library.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Captures the true essense of Quilting. Inspirational,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: People and Their Quilts (Paperback)
I first discovered this book while visiting my Aunt in North Carolina. She had received it as a gift from a quilter friend.I read this book every night before falling asleep. I love this book so much that when I returned home from my vacation I bought a copy. I highly recomend this book.
This is not another pattern book, it is not another glamorous glossy picture book. It IS a wonderfull adventure thru the mountain regions of Tennesse, appalacians and the old frontier. This book captures the history,lifestyle and dialect of a a hard working people.You will never look at your scrap bin the same way again. I have a renewed respect for every inch of cloth I own. We take so much for granted that to be immersed in a people who made primarily utilitarian quilts, and made them beautifully with REAL scraps is a humbling experience to read. I recomend this book to anyone interested in personal histories and real life images. This book should be in everyones library and when you have had enough of pretty picture books and endless patterns pick this book up and discover who you are in all of this.
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