Vintage Quilts: Identifying, Collecting, Dating, Preserving & Valuing [Hardcover] Review

First the pros: lots of quality photos, covering a wide variety of patterns and eras.
Cons: basically, this book needs to be titled just "Vintage Quilts".The "Collecting, Dating, and Preserving" material is limited to just 4 pages at the beg. of the book. The rest of the volume is a "Value Guide", with a short description under each quilt photo, a notation as to "excellent condition", "fair condition" etc, and a dollar value estimate.The problem here is that nowhere in the book do they state their definition of what they consider to be good, excellent, etc.There's no excuse for this--both Aug and Newman are listed as judges in the book bios--defining their terms should have been covered in the opening pages.Without that, it makes their appraisals pretty much useless to the reader.(The photos are not large enough to show the quilt's condition.)
The other thing I thought was odd is that they don't compare individual quilts.I.e. show us two twin-size Bowtie quilts and explain [what they're worth.]In other words, show us how to appraise and value individual quilts.Which IS the whole point of the book, according to the title anyway. (Dang it, now I'm annoyed all over again!)
Needless to say, I'm returning my copy.

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Product Description:
This book idenitfies hundreds of quilt patterns and gives the rationale for the appraisal of each style, pattern, and era of the 650 quilts shown. Closeups of patterns and vintage fabric swatches of American quilts from the 1800s to the 1950s. 224 pages. AUTHORBIO: Bobbie Aug and Sharon Newman met in Paducah, Kentucky, at the 1989 American Quilter's Society Show. Both were in the first group tested and certified as quilt appraisers by AQS. Currently, both serve as members of the AQS Appraiser Certification Program Committee. REVIEW: Whether a collector, creator, or seller of quilts, you'll find this information about evaluating simple, pieced patterns to elaborate appliqued designs very educational. Written by three recognized experts, these members of the AQS Appraiser Certification Committee judge quilt shows, appraise quilts, teach classes, and write books. This book shows the wide variety of quilts made in America from the 1800s to the 1950s.

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Design Explorations for the Creative Qui: Easy-to-Follow Lessons for Dynamic Art Quilts [Paperback] Review

I take classes from Katie, buy all her books and her dvd, love her work and can tell you this book is the best yet.Chock full of detailed information on how she creates not one, but all methods of her art quilts.Katie takes you from the first step, how to find an idea, to the finished product in detailed explanations and pictures.She explains how to create different type ofart quilts from your own photos,paintings, or sketches.From start to finish she shows, in easyto follow photos, how to design and actually construct the quilt in several methods.A must have primer for the beginning quilter who is ready to branch out, as well as the experienced art quilter who wants to try different techniques.I highly recommend this book as a reference tool that will have you re-reading it over and over for techniques as well as inspiration.

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Product Description:
Bring out your inner artist-explore 10 approaches to designing art quilts. Techniques work for everyone, beginner or advanced.

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America's Printed Fabrics 1770-1890: 8 Reproduction Quilt Projects: Historic Notes and Photographs; Dating Your Quilts [Illustrated] [Paperback] Review

Barbara describes her book as soft on fabric science and high on the how-to of making choices, choosing fabrics and quilt styles appropriate to a time period. The antique and reproduction swatches are large and clear. Barbara brings her considered opinions, research, and years of experience to each subject she discusses.

This book is probably a better choice than her classic "Clues in the Calico" (and it's updated some of the information too) for the individual just starting to learn about textile history because it is less dense in terms of text and details, but it is by no means shallow for those entrenched in textile history.

Throughout the book, there are what I call, Barbara's signature vignettes. These are those wonderful still life pictures of colorful combinations of antique fabrics, daguerreotypes, ephemera, sewing tools, bonnets and clothing and everyday household décor found in 19th century homes. In fact, she has included many photographs depicting dresses and textiles. Brief personal quotes from old diaries, letters, and other historical writings are scattered throughout the book, as are reproduction quilts made by outside contributors to the book. I really appreciate her putting dates, specific when possible, a narrow range when not, with the photos, quotes, quilts and fabrics.

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Product Description:
The fabrics and quilts of the 19th century are thoroughly detailed in this quilting guide filled with projects that will delight quilters of all levels. Included are eight projects that were inspired by antique quilts but made with today's reproduction fabrics. Quilt historian Barbara Brackman guides crafters through more than a century of American fabrics, and shares wonderful old photos, diary entries, and letters from America's past.
Barbara Brackman has been named to the Quilters' Hall of Fame. She lives in Lawrence, KS.

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Making History -- Quilts & Fabric from 1: 9 Reproduction Quilt Projects Historic Notes & Photographs Dating Your Quilts [Paperback] Review

If you want to learn to date fabrics found in quilts and cotton clothing, then this book is a must have.MAKING HISTORY Quilts and Fabrics covers the topics in the same detail and stylistic manner of America's Printed Fabrics, for the years 1890 to 1970. With this book, Barbara Brackman essentially finishes her update of Clues in the Calico, (1989).

If I were to use one word to describe the book's text, it is concise.She gives us a great deal of meaty information by combining period fabrics used for clothing, interiors furnishings, and quilts with interior and architectural design schools and wraps them into a synopses of their influence on patterned fabric's scale, color, weave and print.

Large swatches of original fabrics and reproduction prints are featured in exacting color photographs. Smaller quilt pictures show vintage ones. What is great, especially for someone new to dating fabrics, is that she goes back to the beginning dye history of a color and brings it forward to the focus of the years the chapter covers.

Barbara writes that her personal mission when doing research for this book was the discovery of why the look of quilts changed so much in the early 20th century, compared to the years before it. This book is a very interesting read as it draws from the greater field of textiles and interior design, with a wider focus than reproduction and antique fabrics and quilts.

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Product Description:
The comprehensive guide to fabrics and their influence on American quilts from 1890-1970.Includes 9 quilt projects.

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