American Quilt Treasures by Martingale & Company is a beautiful, hard-bound coffee-table book that you will enjoy reading and return to again and again for inspiration for your own quilt projects. NB: Patterns are not included in this book.
Photo courtesy of Martingale
These quilts are from the International Quilt Study Center and Museum and include quilts that are over one hundred years old! I was amazed at the complexity and condition of these quilts.
While the fabrics used in these quilts are not ones that I typically use in my own quilt projects, I could still admire the fine workmanship that was in each of these quilts.
While there were many pieced quilts in the book, there are also appliqué quilts included in American Quilt Treasures. I’m partial to appliqué designs, although I’m not a hand appliquér, and there were several quilts that I found especially attractive. I loved the designs and could only imagine how long it must’ve taken to do these hand appliqué and hand quilted projects. Certainly these quilters had more patience than I do!
The photographs in the book show the full quilt and also several detailed photos allowing you to see the fabric choices and stitching and then the overall effective of the quilt. It’s always so amazing to me the difference between the specific up-close details and the effect that is created. Truly fascinating.
Image courtesy of Martingale
These quilts provide historical information, showing us what colours and types of fabric were available and what designs were popular at a certain point in time.
Many of these quilts were still so vibrant in colour and modern in nature that they could’ve been made just yesterday. Some of them look similar to the modern quilts that are being created today.
I see American Quilt Treasures as a guide for how to create effective quilts. I found myself analyzing the choice of fabrics, the contrast and play of light and dark fabrics, and even the blocks or appliqués that the quilt maker chose. Lots to learn from this book.
Click on the image below to watch a video on my YouTube channel that provides more information.
Get your own copy of American Quilt Treasures by clicking here.
Creatively,
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