2012 Acquisitions is a book I was working on over the holidays. It was originally intended for friends and family, but as I was putting it together I started to think of it as the first in a series. It's all about collecting quilts, and this book records of a very memorable year of collecting. In 2012, I acquired more than 50 quilts made between 1780 and 2012.
The highlight was an applique counterpane made by Achsah Goodwin Wilkins in the 1815-1820 period, and 2012 Acquisitions is the first print publication of the important discovery. During the year, I acquired many late 20th century quilts, focusing on the 1970s, as well as quilts made by Oregon artists Andrea Balosky, Marsha McCloskey, Kristin Shields and Jean Wells Keenan.
A quirky, c. 1960s tied bedspread is the image on the cover. The piece includes a variety of upholstery samples, some still showing the holes by which the sample swatches had been held in a book. I chose it for the cover because it seems to shimmer and glow in the light. After 2012, I, too, was glowing.
2012 Acquisitions is self-published, and is now available through Blurb. To preview and purchase the book, click here.
With regards to the quilt possibly by Achsah Goodwin Wilkinson: How have you been able to state that the quilt is made by this person? I understand that there are multiple characteristics that are shared with her other quilts, but without any provenance I would have thought that the best you could say is " possibly by" or "probably by" as the IQSC& Museum does with their quilts.
ReplyDeleteDawn
It's Wilkins, and we have the name of the family that owned it. Descendants of Eliza, Achsah's daughter.
DeleteThanks for the clarification. I had been following this but some how missed that there was a family connection.
DeleteDawn