intriguing question

Salon Pour l'Amour du Fil, Nantes, France

In Nantes, several people asked me an intriguing question. "Which quilt is your favorite?" My answer, "I don't know," often led to a stroll down the long row of quilts on display, and I would point out several favorites.

1860s quilt, Kentucky

Of course, I love the old ones with intricate hand piecing and dense, decorative hand quilting. The old quilts are classic, well crafted and surprisingly modern.

1860s quilt, Kentucky

1860s quilt, Kentucky

I love the quilts that offer insight into the history of the design; the Mountain Mist New York Beauty, Capper's Weekly Springtime in the Rockies, and Ladies' Art Company's Suspension Bridge.

Capper's Weekly Springtime in the Rockies, 1930s

Suspension Bridge Block

I also love the new quilts; Karen Stone's Cinco de Mayo, Linda Hahn's Bensonhurst Blooms and many others.

Cinco de Mayo, Karen Stone Design, made by the Buda Bee Quilters, TX

Each quilt is a piece of the picture, a chapter in the life story of the complicated patchwork design. We know it as New York Beauty, but there were many names for it, more each day.

You can read all about it in my book, "New York Beauty, Quilts from the Volckening Collection" (Quiltmania). For more information about where to get the book, click here.