Books II

Today I want to share a bit about two of the books I was able to borrow from the library which I found particularly interesting.

American Quilts and Coverlets in the Metropolitan Museum of Art  - This is a lovely big fat book by Amelia Peck with assistance by Cynthia Schaffner. It's a good opportunity to see quilts from the collection which are quite fragile and rarely exhibited. I love the full page photos, select close-ups and adjoining information about each piece including materials used, size, condition and history. 
A really handy catalogue section at the back features all of the quilts in the book in a unique format; two quilts per page alongside the pertinent data for each. They are arranged according to type which is an interesting alternate grouping.

The second book is Quilting, Patchwork and Applique: A World Guide by Caroline Crabtree and Christine Shaw. It focuses on the three decorative textile techniques found in the title (patchwork, quilting and applique), dividing information into three sections; Materials, Uses and Construction. Over 500 illustrations of textiles from every imaginable country/culture including Thai, Turkish Japanese, French, Native American, Eastern European ---to name just a few --- providing a diverse and refreshing look at textiles and methods in other cultures. Browsing these pages could possibly ignite the flames of inspiration for our own creations.
The cover got my attention as I am currently hand piecing a Tumbling 

Blocks - using fabrics from a time period in American quilting that no one wants to talk about. Watch for more on that soon.

Next:

 February Experimentation Theme

 Pennsylvania 'Dutch' style