Synopses & Reviews
Unconventional and Unexpected: American Quilts Below the Radar 1950andndash;2000 is a stunning collection of approximately 150 eccentric and extraordinary quilts made predominantly by anonymous quilters in the US during the second half of the 20th century. Collected by renowned quilt authority and collector Roderick Kiracofe, they represent a 20th-century quilt movement that remains mostly undocumented. Unlike the familiar quilts that replicate traditional patterns of earlier centuries, these surprising textiles represent a freer, more casual, utilitarian style that departs from (and returns to) a multitude of norms and standards. Peppered with essays by renowned experts that help to contextualize the quiltsandrsquo; surprisingly modern aesthetic, Unconventional and Unexpected is a groundbreakandshy;ing celebration of 20th-century quilting that picks up where most other quilt histories leave off.
Review
andldquo;With over 100 pages of photographs of quirky and extraordinary quilts from Kiracofeandrsquo;s personal collection, the book gives readers the opportunity to enter a world undiscovered by many and enjoy patterns that break the traditional boundariesandmdash;all while demonstrating their contribution to American contemporary art . . . this book is full of stories and ideas to make your dandeacute;cor pop with historical value and romantic vibrancy.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Gorgeous coffee-table book . . . Kiracofe proves scrap quilts worthy of moving from bed to wall.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Truly thoughtful essays by ten different worthy authors . . . you will want to hug this book.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Almost 150 quilts you wonandrsquo;t find on Pinterest.andrdquo;
Synopsis
The most important, comprehensive, and sumptuously illustrated addition to the literature of quilting since i1Quilts in America. Most of the book's 250 stunning full-color quilts have never before been published. With them as a reference, Kiracofe shows us how to read a vocabulary of fabrics, dyes, patterns, and other clues to put quilts in their social and cultural context. Full-color photographs.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 283-286) and index.
About the Author
RODERICK KIRACOFE was cofounder of
The Quilt Digest, produced Homage to Amanda: 200 Years of American Quilts, and authored
Cloth & Comfort. He has assembled corporate and private quilt collections across the country and curated quilt exhibits here and abroad. He lives in San Francisco.
MARY ELIZABETH JOHNSON wrote her first quilt book in 1976 and has since authored a dozen more craft and home decorating titles. Her latest and final book on the subject will be a history of the quilting in her home state of Alabama. She lives in Montgomery.
For more information, visit www.theamericanquilt.com.
From the Trade Paperback edition.