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American Quilts: The Democratic Art, 1780-2007 is a book that will become a “must-have” for anyone interested in the history of quilts. Written by Robert Shaw, this heavy, hard cover volume, comprised of 376 pages was just published by Sterling Publishing of New York/London in 2009.

Surprisingly, the dustjacket features a “tied” quilt, which to some purists’ way of thinking would be called a “comforter” or a “comfort,” instead of a quilt, as it is not quilted (held together by running stitches). Nonetheless, the photo is a cheerful introduction to a book that is full of Shaw’s personal observations and thoughts about the process and history of quilting.

Amazing, full-page views of quilts are offered in this very colorful book, as well as smaller photos.

The inside book cover declares this statement:

Spanning more than four centuries, American Quilts is the first book to cover the entire historical panorama of quiltmaking in the United States, from the quintessential patterns to their cultural significance … ”

While many of the quilt photos have been published in other printed documents, and therefore, are extremely familiar to me, other quilts seem to be appear in print for the first time, in this book. It is great to have photos of these important American quilts contained within one volume.

I am especially fond of “Amigos Muertos” by Jonathan Shannon and am pleased to see that quilt included. No matter what style of quilt you prefer, from traditional to modern art quilts in America, you will most likely find examples provided. Shaw has gathered quilts from all historical time periods that will amaze you and inspire you to quilt a little faster on your own creations!

If this book were only used for a coffee table book, it would still be worth its weight in gold. However, I am sure that you will want to linger over every word of history and every point of reflection. In a discussion of “time” and “quilts,” Shaw states:

“Quilts ask us to slow down, to step into their world and partake of their full and measured sense of time, to allow them to envelop us in their own languid, slowly unfolding tactile language.”

With a great deal of insight, Shaw has managed to elevate the art of quilting to a higher level. I do suspect that he had a lot of fun while compiling the information and images for this new quilt history edition. I can’t wait to read all of the words in this book and view all of the beautiful quilts. This is an exceptional work, and one to put on your holiday wish list!

The following is one of two books of which I am aware that have the same title, It’s Not a Quilt Until It’s Quilted.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

“The Calico Garden,” a reproduction (crib size) quilt created by Patricia Cummings.

Florence Peto was a New Jersey quilt historian and a quilter, too. She is the person who created the original design that you see re-created here. “The Calico Garden” quilt of hers is in the collection of the Shelburne Museum in Burlington, Vermont. I was amazed to view the original. For some reason, I thought the coloration to be quite different, based on photos I had seen.

My quilt is not “exactly” like that of Mrs. Peto who used much smaller Broderie Perse (appliqué) pieces in floral swags for the borders. I needleturned most of the appliqué work, and hand quilted this quilt, which took about a year.

When I was finished, I filled out some paperwork that came with the pattern I had purchased from Hoopla Designs, and I sent it along to the Shelburne, with a photo, for their records. They are attempting to keep track of reproductions of quilts in their care.

I hope you enjoy seeing this cheerful quilt as much as I enjoyed making it, perhaps as long as five years ago.

There are references to Mrs. Peto, and her words as a quilt historian, in my book, Ellen Emeline Hardy Webster (1867-1950). If you are not familiar with this book, yet you claim to like quilt history, you don’t know what you are missing if you do not own a copy of this book on CD. (355 pages/ 340 photos) – available only from Quilter’s Muse Publications. pat@quiltersmuse.com

Here’s to Beauty! May it ever be.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

When the availability of a CD that shows old quilts, from New Jersey and elsewhere, was announced, I welcomed the opportunity to send $15.00 to get a glimpse of some quilts seen at a meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Study Group. I inquired as to where to send the funds and received a letter back, reading me the riot act.

The letter stated that none of the photos could be re-published and that all of them are marked with a copyright claim. The person saying that was preaching to the choir. I told her that putting a mark on a photo only reminds the “good” people. Thieves, being thieves, can always find a way around anything. I am not a thief, and my intent was to view the quilts for study purposes.

Besides the lousy attitude of one member of the group, and her obscene, unwarranted slur toward me, I would have to say that I was disappointed in both the delivery time and the quality of the CD. I offer these remarks not to criticize for the sake of criticism, but to provide fodder for thought, should other groups want to do undertake similar efforts.

On the first count, I will say that I mailed my check on the 5th. I wondered if the check had arrived, and inquired on the 10th. I received a one-line zinger of an e-mail in all capital letters that said that the CD had been mailed. When I did not receive it by the 15th, I began to wonder, as Media Mail to New Jersey usually only takes 2 business days, and we were long beyond that. I received a hateful e-mail back, barring me from ordering any more products and asking that I not send any more e-mails.

Mind you, I was courteous in all of my notes. I sent another e-mail anyhow, and said that I was sorry that my questions were misconstrued and that I was not questioning the integrity of this particular person. Bottom line: the CD arrived today, the 16th, postmarked on the 14th. Yes, that does seem to bear out my theory of a 2 day delivery time. Someone did not tell the truth, through sloppiness, oversight, or whatever. Bad business.

On the second count, I saw more peeping eyeballs over the edges of quilts and more fake fingernails that I would ever want to view. Many of the photos are out-of-focus or blurry, as well as crooked in alignment. Apparently, these photos were not cleaned up in a photo-editing program, and this was a fly-by-night attempt to get easy money.

If you don’t mind spending $1.00 per minute to view this CD, then it could be the bargain of the century. There was no attempt to include information about the quilts including any stories about them. Also, a few of the quilts were photographed on a professional photo stand, so it seems that it might have been possible to do all of them that way.

Fear. Why are other people so fearful about sharing information? So terrified that someone would re-publish their crappy photos? I don’t know of any professional who would do so. I certainly would not want to re-publish THOSE photos, even if I could. All of my photos are edited and are presented free-of-charge on our website, with captions and descriptions. Perhaps, we are fools for sharing so much information, so freely, so lovingly, with good intentions in our hearts.

This group has missed a chance to share some great information that they have chosen to “keep to themselves” in a cliquish, oh-so-exclusive, member-of-the-club, kind of way. This kind of selfishness does not do much to promote quilt study.

Any close-up of transcriptions on the fabrics, as in Signature Quilts and other quilts with writing, could not be read. Why have close-ups? To increase the number of photos on the disc, so as to make it seem more desirable?

I am feeling discounted, disgusted, and disillusioned. I realize that this is a fundraiser, and I realize that the people creating the product did not attempt to do a professional job. What was most disturbing was the callous and hateful attitude and the way in which I was treated.

There is no need for it. I am a fellow member of the American Quilt Study Group, of which this group is a regional spin-off. Even if I were not, this behavior toward me is not acceptable. You can be sure that I will NEVER be tempted to purchase a product of this kind again, from this particular group.

Peace and goodwill to all the decent people – I know you are out there.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

This morning’s e-mail brought a photo of a quilt. The writer, Scott McKee of Santa Ana, CA, says that the quilt is hand-pieced and asks what “pattern” it is.

A finished quilt with various quilt pattern designs, some partial blocks. The overall design is “Sampler Quilt.”

I can tell you a few things about this quilt, but not having seen it, in person, will not vouch for total accuracy.

1) There is a relatively-wide outer border with a binding of a matching fabric print. Whether this is a “separate binding” or just the back turned forward to the front and tacked down, I do not know, and cannot tell for certain, from a photo. Separate bindings are more desirable, especially in a bed quilt, as they wear better, and can be replaced, if need be. The writer did not share the overall size of this quilt.

2) The second border in looks like “Log Cabin” blocks, set on point. Why do I say that? They have a square center and strips, half light and half dark, on either side.

3) That is followed by a thin print strip, and then an additional pieced border of “Flying Geese,” in light and dark hues, around the perimeter of the quilt.

4) Then, there is another print fabric strip.

5) The interior area features various quilt blocks, and portions of quilt blocks within rectangles or squares, delineated by sashing strips.

6) Right off the bat, I recognized the (round) Mariner’s Compass (with a green center). This block is repeated in other rectangle settings in the quilt.

There are star blocks and others, all geometric.

This appears to be a 20th century quilt, due to its color palette that includes lighter blue and pink colors.

The other quilt blocks probably have names (sometimes more than one). I do not have the time to look up each one of them, but I do suggest Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Patterns which shows more than 4,000 block configurations and lists of their names. This is the standard reference book used by most appraisers and quilt historians and has become a classic book already.

There are thousands of published names for quilt blocks.

I am happy to share whatever information that has readily come to mind about this quilt. A certified appraiser could verify my statements and take the time to look up the pattern name of each and every block. The sashings may be appliquéd down. Again, this is not something I can determine from a photo, alone.

Patricia Cummings, quilt historian
Quilter’s Muse Publications

The seven photos of Civil War reproduction quilts that are shared in this blog entry today represent quilts made by Donald Beld of California. They simulate actual “Sanitary Commission” quilts that were made in the North and sent to Union soldiers in the field.

By the way, Don founded the “Home of the Brave” program that re-creates and distributes reproduction Civil War quilts to families of U.S. fallen military in Iraq and Afghanistan. The quilts are made by volunteer quilters from across the country.

In support of the program when it first started, I supplied information to The Quilter magazine, (May 2005 issue). At the time of publication, only four original Sanitary Commission quilts were known to be extant. Since then, several more quilts of this type have been discovered. Most of the approximately 250,000 that were sent off to war from the North are lost to history.

Don is a retired hospital administrator who makes quilts with connections to history. He enjoys hand piecing but acknowledges the limitations of his mortal stay on this planet. In order to finish more quilts, he now seeks the help of a machine quilter, 50% of the time, to do the actual quilting stitches that hold the layers of a quilt together.

He loves to quilt by hand and has hand-quilted all of these Sanitary Commission quilts. As Civil War quilters would have done, he applies bindings to each quilt, in the same manner. Whenever he can, he uses authentic period fabrics, but finds the fibers so weak that he has to “tie’ the quilt in lieu of “needling” it.

The quilts shown are from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire. As you will see, Don Beld’s work is a total inspiration!

This quilt made by Don Beld simulates one that was made in Florence, Massachusetts.

Close-up of the Florence, Massachusetts Sanitary Commission quilt reproduction made by Donald Beld

Sanitary Commission quilt first made in Vernon, Connecticut; reproduced by Donald Beld

Close-up view of reproduction quilt; this quilt was first made in Vernon, CT.

Civil War quilt reproduction of a quilt first created in Brandon, Vermont

The last of four quilts shown in this file originated in Dublin, New Hampshire:

All photos seen in this file were taken by, and provided by Don Beld, to whom they are copyrighted. We have his permission to publish them.

Photo-edits were done by Patricia Cummings.

Please do not copy any of these photos to any other site for the purpose of publication, but please do tell others to enjoy them here at: http://quiltersmuse.com/blog/. Of course, you may print a copy of this page for your own personal study. Thanks!

To learn how to make a quilt in the same pattern as the Sanitary Commission Quilt located at the A.K. Smiley Public Library, Lincoln Memorial Shrine, Redlands, California, please see this file: Civil War Reproduction Quilt The original was 48″ x 84″ to fit a soldier’s cot.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications