The Quilts of Tennessee: Images of Domestic Life Prior to 1930

this is an excellent example of what a state quilt survey can accomplish. not only are the quilts interesting, beautiful and inspirational (i'm seriously considering making two quilts based on quilts in this book), the family histories are fascinating. there are wonderful photos of many 19th and early 20th century quilters, their families and homes, and excerpts from letters, diaries and wills. several quilts are, to use the work accurately, each unique. any quilter who has read more than one book on the history of quilts knows that many quilts appear in several sources. i haven't seen some of the quilts in this book in any other source (though i haven't read every quilt book--yet), which is surprising, since they are excellent examples of design and workmanship. there are applique and pieced quilts, some with stuffed quilting--a term the authors prefer to 'trapunto,' rightly arguing that the italian term refers to a specific style of quilting. the detail photos generally show the quilting designs clearly. the text is well written, the research is thorough, and the authors' conclusions from the data are not colored by romanticism (there is often enough drama and eventfulness in quilters' lives to make any romanticizing not only unnecessary but demeaning). well worth studying.

If you are from Tennessee, or even if you just love quilts and folk art, you will enjoy this book for the information and fabulous pictures of the rich heritage of quilting. This project contains not only pictures, but information about particular quilters and their lives. A fine mix of utility quilts and extraordinary quilt designs are included in this book. The collection comes from a survey of 1,425 quilts documented from various counties of Tennessee.