Introduction to QuiltingAmerican Quilts:
A How-To Pathfinder
Introduction to Quilting
What is quilting? Quilting is the art of stitching designs through layers of cloth. In America, quilting has flourished since the early 18th century. Several prominent groups in American quilting history are the Amish, African-Americans, Mid-Western, and Hawaiian quilters. Quilting, however, has not been restricted to any particular category of quilter. In the mid-1970's interest in quilting which had been on the wane, revived some scholars say in conjunction with the bicentennial of the revolutionary war. Whatever the reason, quilting is now among the most popular craft hobbies in the United States, with an average quilter spending between 100 and 400 dollars on supplies per year.
Scope
More than 15.5 million Americans currently quilt. As of the early 1990s, the market for craft books has greatly increased and the amount and types of quilting books have rapidly changed to include new titles focusing on machine quilting, rotary cutting, and speed efficient tips for piecing together quilt tops. The goal of this pathfinder is to introduce a new quilter to the best materials for learning to quilt or learning about quilting. Many of the texts selected will also be of use to intermediate quilters dealing with technical problems. More advanced books dealing with patterns and techniques are available, however those included are focused toward the beginner or intermediate quilter.
Locations
Library of Congress Subject Headings
The Library of Congress has hundreds of Subject Headings diving quilting resources into geographical and topical catagories. The best three catagories for a beginning quilter to start with are
Quilting
Quiltmakers
The more detailed Library of Congress Subject Headings look somewhat like this example.
Quiltmakers - North Carolina -- Biography
Browsing Areas
If you would simply like to browse how-to materials and books on quilting, here are the call numbers you would use.
Dewey 746.46
LC T835
Guidebooks and Manuals
Handbooks, manuals and guides are the best texts to read for information on how to quilt. These guides usually contain several chapters devoted to each step of the quilting process, with tips and advice on everything from fabric selection to finishing.
Fall, Cheryl. Quilting for Dummies. New York: IDG Books Worldwide, 1999.
Greensboro Central Library. 746.46 F19.
High Point Public Library. 746.46 F194Q.
Kernersville (Forsyth Public Library System). 746.46 F.Although the title is hardly flattering, this book turned out to be a fun reference guide, including humorous cartoons as well as techniques to aid quilters of all levels. Projects start small, lead up to a twin size bed quilt. It includes recommended readings, addresses for magazines that cover the field, quilt supply providers, and extremely good explanations of quilt design, tools and techniques.
Frager, Dorothy. Quilting Primer. Radnor, PA: Chilton Book Company, 1974.
Greensboro Central Library. 746.26 F81.
High Point Public Library. 746.46 FS11q 1979 (second edition)
Kernersville (Forsyth Public Library System). 746.46 FSimple discussion of classic quilting techniques, chapters on design that list available fabrics and their qualities, discussion of methods, stitches, and color photo section of examples are a few of the nice features of this book. Glossary, Index, and list of quilting supplies are available as well.
James, Michael. The Quiltmaker's Handbook: A Guide to Design and Construction. Mountain View, CA: Leone Publications, 1978.
Chapel Hill Public Library. 746.46 Jam.
Completely a technique guide, simple, straightforward, author has a good manner, has index, clear chapter focus, overall it is good guide to techniques. No color illustrations, but the book doesn't suffer that much from the lack.
Seward, Linda. The Complete Book of Patchwork, Quilting and Appliqué. New York: Prentice Hall Press, 1987.
Greensboro Central Library. 746.46 S51.
High Point Public Library. 746.46 S514CO.Lots of good instruction, terms lists, pictures of techniques, discussion of quilting tools and equipment, design. The colors get a bit old - (red, black and white only on instructional pages, full color only when showing a full quilt). It has a long bibliography including reference, technique, patterns, design ideas, and periodical sections.
Dictionaries
Dictionaries of quilting and needlework are good places to go to better understand the vocabulary in the quilting manuals, learn the names of quilting patterns or discover how to execute certain types of stitches.
Clabburn, Pamela. Needleworker's Dictionary. NY: William Morrow & Company, 1976.
High Point Public Library. R746.44 C583.
This needlework dictionary contains several hundred line drawings that illustrate techniques. It includes, but is not limited to quilting. Wonderful illustrations, inclusive histories and a comprehensive bibliography make it worth consulting if you are planning to do more ornate stitching on your quilt.
Goldberg, Rhoda Ochser. The New Quilting and Patchwork Dictionary. NY: Crown Publishers, 1988.
Greensboro Central Library. R746.97 G61.
High Point Public Library. 746.97 G618N (Circulating and Reference Copy).
Walkertown (Forsyth Public Library System). 746.46 S.This specialized dictionary of quilting separates terms out into tools, basics, vocabulary, and then goes into dictionary format, describing and illustrating patterns, types of quilting and techniques. Includes Index.
Oshins, Lisa Turner. Quilt Collections: A Directory for the United States and Canada. Washington, DC: Acropolis Books, 1987.
Art Library, UNC-CH. NK9112.O85 1987.
This directory list museums and galleries with quilt collections, it also contains and extensive bibliography and filmography.
Rehnek, Judy. The Quilt ID Book: 4000 Illustrated & Indexed Patterns. NY: Prentice Hall Press, 1986.
Greensboro Central Library. R746.97 R34.
A dictionary of quilting patterns. Designs are arranged alphabetically within categories. Sample squares are given to identify quilt patterns. Very useful if you would know by sight the pattern you want to make or purchase.
Encyclopedias
Encyclopedias of quilting serve a function similar to that of dictionaries, but they usually are more comprehensive with longer entries. Still, the focus usually is on patterns, techniques, or general history.
Brackman, Barbara. Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns. Paducah, KY: American Quilter's Society, c1993.
Reynolda (Forsyth County Library System). 746.46 B.
With 4,000 pieced pattern blocks, this encyclopedia of patterns was an exhaustive source for information on quilt designs, with illustrated blocks, a good index and bibliography. However, the pictures are black and white, making it less appealing than it could be.
Guerrier, Katharine. The Encyclopedia of Quilting Techniques. Philadelphia, PA: Running Press, 1994.
Kernersville (Forsyth Public Library System). 746.46 G.
Good, detailed explanations paired with wonderful step-by-step illustrations of the quilting process make this encyclopedia a wonderful guide.
Houck, Carter. The Quilt Encyclopedia Illustrated. NY: Henry N. Abrams, 1991.
Greensboro Central Library. R746.9703 H83.
Forsyth Public Library (Main). R746.46 H.This alphabetically arranged guide includes entries on designs, patterns, techniques, equipment, conservation and care, textiles, dyes, history, quilting organizations and more. With wonderful full color illustrations and an index it is a very useful guide to have when studying quilting books.
Pahl, Ellen, editor. The Quilter's Ultimate Visual Guide: From A to Z -- Hundreds of Tips and Techniques for Successful Quiltmaking. Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale Press, c1997.
Chapel Hill Public Library. 746.46 Pah.
This basic reference guide, perhaps the simplest of these listed, has illustrations for every entry based on the tips from some of the most well known quilting writers.
Biographical Information
There are few historical quilting bibliographies as often little is known about the women behind many family quilts, however many current quilters have been profiled in quilting texts, and two of the best sources for information on quilters in this region of the country are below.
North Carolina Quilts. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Press, 1988.
Art Library, UNC-CH. NK9112.N63 1988.
Forsyth Public Library (Main). 746.97 N.
Greensboro Central Library. 746.97 N86.
High Point Public Library. 746.97 E12N.
Kernersville (Forsyth Public Library System). NC746.97 N.
North Carolina Collection, UNC-CH. C746 E12n.
Reynolda (Forsyth Public Library System). 746.97 N.Along with historical discussion of NC quilts, this text does its best to list information where possible about each quilts creator. Its LC Heading includes Quiltmakers, North Carolina, Biography.
American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Quilts and Quiltmaking in America. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/qlthtml/qlthome.html. Last update July 30, 1999.
This website, created by the American Folklife Center allows searches by quiltmaker of the images in its collection. Somewhat limited, not recently updated, current quilters only, but a unique and interesting source. Also contains a nice glossary of terms and audio files of quilters giving advice about the art and practice of quilting.
Directories
Directories can be very helpful for quilters, whether in aiding in finding quilting supply shops, websites, museums, or quilting societies.
Brooks, Vicki and Linda Stokes. Quilter's Catalog. Pittstown, NJ: Main Street Press, 1987.
Greensboro Central Library. 746.97 B87.
Covers some of the best places to order quilting supplies and tools, patterns, kits, where to go for restoration, appraisal, collecting, the times of the year the major quilting shows happen, and gives a directory of North American quilting guilds and other organizations, and museums. Best of all, its all indexed! Locally, for a museum featuring quilts you might want to visit, Quilter's Catalog suggests the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts in Winston-Salem.
Heim, Judy and Gloria Hansen. Free Stuff for Quilters on the Internet. C & T Publishers, 1998.
High Point Public Library. 746.46025 H467F.
An excellent guide to where to start looking for free quilting patterns, materials and some excellent quilting advice on the internet.
Websites
The internet is now a great place to go to ask for quilting
advise, read simple how-to pages, look at galleries of quilts, as well as print
out free patterns. These pages are a sampling of what is available on-line.
American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Quilts and Quiltmaking in America. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/qlthtml/qlthome.html. Last updated July 30, 1999.
This website, created by the American Folklife Center allows searches by quiltmaker of the images in its collection. Somewhat limited, not recently updated, current quilters only, but a unique and interesting source. Also contains a nice glossary of terms and audio files of quilters giving advice about the art and practice and lived experience of quilting.
Anne Johnson. Exploring Quilt History. http://www.historyofquilts.com/index.html. Last updated Nov. 5, 2001.
Author Anne Johnson maintains this site which links to articles about all kinds of quilting in America. Has a good range of articles, a small list of quilting terms (not alphabetized), and good format.
World Wide Quilting Page. http://quilt.com/MainQuiltingPage.html. Last updated Nov. 5, 2001
Cumulative website that does give some advice for beginners. Much of the site is under construction however (i.e. glossary page with 5 entries). Its biggest draw is that it offers bulletin boards to read and post to obtain information from quilters across the world as well as linking to multitudes of other sites for information.
Serials
Few libraries will carry actual quilting magazines. However, they are often wonderful sources of quilting tips and designs, book reviews and quilting sources. Here are the websites to three good magazines and a link to review of more.
The Quilter. http://www.thequiltermag.com/
Quilter's Newsletter Magazine. http://www.quiltersnewsletter.com/qnm/
Quiltmaker. http://www.quiltmaker.com/qm/
Reviews of Quilt Magazines. http://ttsw.com/FAQS/QuiltMagazineFAQ.html#AmerQuilter
Historical Resources
To learn more about quilting in general, or just to get inspiration from the galleries of quilts contained in these lush volumes, browse through these volumes.
Duke, Dennis and Deborah Harding. America's Glorious Quilts. New York: Macmillan, 1987.
Greensboro Central Library. 746.97 A51.
High Point Public Library. 746.46 D877A.
Kernersville (Forsyth Public Library) 746.97 A.Beautiful inspirational guide to American quilts, with a short introductory to quilting in the United States, followed by almost 300 lavishly illustrated pictures of quilts.
North Carolina Quilts. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Press, 1988.
Art Library, UNC-CH. NK9112.N63 1988.
Forsyth Public Library (Main). 746.97 N.
Greensboro Central Library. 746.97 N86.
High Point Public Library. 746.97 E12N.
Kernersville (Forsyth Public Library System). NC746.97 N.
North Carolina Collection, UNC-CH. C746 E12n.
Reynolda (Forsyth Public Library System). 746.97 N.Discussion of North Carolina quilts, with information where possible about their creators, the social settings of the counties at that time, information on the NC textile industry, artistic changes.
Orlofsky, Patsy and Myron. Quilts in America. New York: Abbeville Press, 1992.
Chapel Hill Public Library 746.4609 Orl
Greensboro Central Library. 746.97 O72 1992
UL Storage, UNC-CH. NK9112.074Reprint edition of the 1972 book, well illustrated with new color pictures, detailed text. A great book to get a feel for the history of quilting in the United States. Detailed bibliography and index. Authors are scholars in the field, consultants to museums and work in textile conservation.
Anne Johnson. Exploring Quilt History. http://www.historyofquilts.com/index.html.
Author Anne Johnson maintains this site which links to articles about all kinds of quilting in America. Last updated 10/28/2001. Has a good range of articles, a small list of quilting terms (not alphabetized), and good format.
All images are taken from quilt blocks provided by the World Wide Quilting Page.
Page created by Deborah Williams, SILS, UNC-CH
Comments and questions welcome via email