"What are you reading?" was the question posted yesterday by fellow Portland Blogger Jennifer Fulford on her blog, "Living on Ink: Notes on a Writing Life". What am I not reading should probably be the question. The short answer is: quilt history books, lots of them!
After recently purchasing an 18th century blue resist quilt, I've been reading about the history of indigo resist printing in "Uncoverings 2004", the annual research journal of the American Quilt Study Group; and "Printed Textiles: English and American Cottons and Linens, 1700-1850" by Florence Montgomery. Both books include images of two of the prints seen on the two 18th century wholecloth quilts in my collection.
I've also been reading two books that include quilts in my collection: the latest AQSG journal, "Uncoverings 2013", and "Homefront & Battlefield: Quilts & Context in the Civil War". There is a phenomenal paper by Merikay Waldvogel in Uncoverings, and it includes the applique counterpane chintz medallion from my collection, attributed to the Achsah Goodwin Wilkins group.
"Homefront & Battlefield: Quilts & Context in the Civil War" includes the Oak Leaf Variant recently purchased from the collection of Shelly Zegart. The quilt will be touring into 2015 and will travel to New York, Vermont, and Nebraska. So, that's what I've been reading- this week. Good question!!
Wow, those are amazing! I think Civil War-era quilts are so interesting because they’re not usually super fancy or beautiful, but really reflect that time in history. My mom makes historic clothing for museums and reenactors and such so we enjoy learning about the fabric prints and colors that were in use in that era, and you can learn so much about that from historical quilts!
ReplyDeleteI love historic quilts! I often think about the hands that created them and the lives they led and wonder if someday, someone will look at one of my quilts and think the same thing.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievably beautiful quilts. I come from a quilting family in the Midwest. Many of the matriarchs on my father's side quilted their entire lives. I started a quilt many, many years ago, but it is only in pieces. I'm better at piecing together novels. Loved your response! Keep reading and quilting.
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