Black Threads: An African American Quilting Sourcebook [Hardcover] Review

I can't say enough about the importance of this book.Every one who is interested in acquiring a true perspective on the diverse history of American quiltmaking and the role that African American quilters played in that history must own a copy of this book.Kyra Hicks spent many years tracing information about African American quilters that would otherwise soon be lost to us all. She has been diligent, careful and intensely rigorous as a scholar--and, she took this on as a true labor of love.Althugh she received some support from a national organization, Kyra Hicks used personal funds and many unpaid hours to complete this project.
The book istself is extremely well organized, and provides a wealth of detail and resources.Anyone planning to give a lecture or write an article about the history of quiltmaking will find material here that would be very difficult to access otherwise.
This book is also important becasue too many of the other books and articles only focused on the improvisational string quilt or improvisational patchwork quilt, which is only one genre of African American quilt making.Kyra clearly documents that African American quilters worked and continue to create quilts in all forms and genres.
The book has chapters documenting the influence that quilting has had on other artists and art genres as well. One of the remarkable images is that of a quilt designed by Romare Bearden, an internationally known African American artist who is generally known as one of the premier collagists of the 20th Century.
Kyra also conducted extensive online surveys of quilters, and documented very interesting facts about the enormous buying power of African American quilters in the United States.This material alone is worth the price of the book to companies that sell fabric and patterns to the quilt market.
My only regret is that the book had only a few color images.I wish that the publisher would have Kyra create a companion book in color with more of the images of the unique and unusual quilts and lesser known quilters she found.
Finally, the book is a comprehensive reference to galleries and collections for those who wish to explore the owrld of African American quiltmaking further.Buy and keep this book on your shelf--it will be useful and remarkable reading for years to come.

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Product Description:
One million African Americans spend approximately $118 million annually on quilting. Some believe that recent studies of oral histories telling of the role quilting played in the Underground Railroad have inspired African Americans to take up their fabric and needles, but whatever the reason, quilters like Faith Ringgold, Clementine Hunter, Winnie McQueen, and many others are keeping the African American traditions of quilting alive. This is the first comprehensive guide to African American quilt history and contemporary practices. It offers over 1,700 bibliographic references, many of them annotated, covering exhibit catalogs, books, newspapers, magazines, dissertations, films, novels, poetry, speeches, works of art, advertisements, patterns, greeting cards, auction results, ephemeral items, and online resources on African American quilting. The book also includes primary research done by the author on the Internet usage of African American quilters, a listing of over 100 museums with African American made quilts in their permanent collections, a directory of African American quilting groups in 29 states, and a detailed timeline that covers 200 years of African American quilting and needle arts events.

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Around the Quilt Frame: Stories and Musings on the Quilter's Craft [Hardcover] Review

I bought this book so my kids could give me something nice for Christmas.The idea was ot put it away and not read it.No chance of that!I thought, "I'll just read the first few lines... Well, just this page... Just the first chapter??!!"
I couldn't put it down.

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Product Description:
Inspired by the sense of community forged by the millions of women who have gathered with friends to quilt throughout history, Around the Quilt Frame draws upon this common bond, connecting today's quilters in a more symbolic way.
This unique compilation of essays and stories about quilts and quilting blends light-hearted tales with more philosophical pieces. From a variety of well-known quilting writers, including Helen Kelley, Ami Simms, Lisa Boyer, Patricia Cox, Jean Ray Laury, and Sandra Dallas, these pieces expertly stitch together a mix of contemporary and vintage pieces to create a patchwork of treasured and timeless tales.

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Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad [Paperback] Review

I agree with most of the reviews of this book that the material is indeed fascinating.It just doesn't happen to be true.Sadly, the "quilt code" myth has been invented by a couple of vendors who sell quilts, and now also sell books, speaking engagements, memorabilia, etc.
This isn't the place for a "debunking", however.If you're interested in seriously evaluating the facts of the issue, and comparing this book's unfounded (indeed unique) claims against real scholarship on the Underground Railroad and the history of quilting, a good place to start is the research of Leigh Fellner, which appears in the March 2003 issue of Traditional Quiltworks magazine as well as the Hart Cottage Quilts website.

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Facts and Fabrications: Unraveling the History of Quilts and Slavery: 8 Projects, 20 Blocks, First-Person Accounts [Paperback] Review

This is a beautiful book of history on African-American quilt making and is chock full of photos, patterns, and basic American history as well.She pulls no punches, tells no lies or tales, and tells you what is an absolute FACT and what is questionable.If you are interested at all in the subject, you must have this book.It is way beyond the info in E.Burns Underground Railroad book.(Which is also a nice resource.)

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Product Description:
* Celebrate and continue an American quilt tradition
* Combines history and quilting
* Great for homeschoolers--includes curriculum!

Enslaved peoples in the American South preserved their memories with quilts. Today, In nine remarkable projects, quilt historian and artist Barbara Brackman guides readers through the stories they told--and lets crafters create quilts and samplers that capture their own memories. Mix and match historic blocks and Brackman's new designs to create timeless treasures.

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Quilts from the Civil War: Nine Projects, Historic Notes, Diary Entries [Paperback] Review

"Quilts from the Civil War" not only contains project for reproducing numerous quilts of the 1850s and 1860s, it also contains an excellent discussion of the role quilts played in people's lives.Barbara Brackman describes quilts made for freedom fairs, by the Sanitary Commission for use by soldiers, and quilts made to express patriotic fervor.Brackman goes beyond a mere discussion of quilts, however, to discuss the development of chemical dyes, women's involvement in the war effort in general, the effect of the blockade on southern textile production, the need to hide quilts from occupying Yankee forces, and even the relationships that developed between quiltmakers and soldiers who received the donated quilt.
Brackman also examines the argument that quilts were used as clues for slaves escaping on the Underground Railroad, and concludes that these tales likely were a myth.(Nevertheless, she includes a Jacob's Ladder-style quilt that honors the Underground Railroad.)In evaluating this theory, she discusses the history of the Log Cabin quilt.
Period photographs of women and children, engravings of Sanitary Fairs and other gatherings, photographs of original and reproduction quilts and original dresses beautifully illustrate this book.Excerpts from journals, letters and newspaper articles and reprints of ads calling for the production of items for soldiers add further interest.
Brackman provides a unique timeline that combines both traditional historic events, such as "March 4, 1864 - Grant becomes Commander-in-Chief of the Union Army" with social or women's history, such as "August 1864 - Ladies Christian Commission of San Francisco sponsors a Grand Fair" and "October 5, 1864 - Mary Jones of Georgia records paying $16 a yard for calico."
Footnotes provide directions for those interested in further research.
One drawback is that the projects contained in the book do not faithfully reproduce the historic quilts.Some are fairly easy to adapt to make more authentic, such as the Underground Railroad quilt, which adds 8-pointed stars to a Four Patch in a Strip pattern.Since the book contains a picture of the original, a quiltmaker can easily see that by leaving off the stars, she can make a quilt that's closer to the original.Other patterns will take a little more ingenuity to adapt, but again, pictures of the originals should help.
Those mostly interested in southern quilts would probably do better with "Southern Quils: Surviving Relics of the Civil War."Brackman concludes that few quilts were produced in the Confederacy due to blockade-caused shortages of fabric, needles, thread and other necessities.
For those interested in trying some of the projects contained in the book, the directions are clear and easy to follow.Brackman provides strip quilting directions for some of the quilts (such as the Underground Railroad) but not for others where this technique could speed production (such as the Log Fence).The appendix contains excellent information on batting, quilting styles, binding and other details to give quilts a more period look.
Overall, despite projects that are more inspired by historic quilts than faithful reproductions, "Quilts from the Civil War" is an excellent source of information about textile production during the 1850s and 1860s.

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