American Patchwork : True Stories from Quilters

by Hakala, Sonja

• ISBN13: 9780312347888
• ISBN10: 031234788X
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781429996839
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-04-17
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• More Book Details
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Summary

For those who enjoyed the honesty and insight ofHow to Make an American Quilt,this is a moving collection of personal stories that highlight the laughter, sadness, friendships, frustrations, and triumphs shared by the more than 21 million people across the country who call themselves quilters. These touching tales from sixty-seven contributors nationwide form a patchwork of their own in the words of each individual's unique narrative. From the quilt that reunited a family divided by war and an ocean to the twenty-two foot banner that accompanied a dying woman on her last journey,American Patchworkis sure to capture the hearts of quilters and quilt lovers everywhere. Wonderfully varied, instructive, nostalgic, amusing, and often poignantly written, this gem of a book will be treasured for years to come.

Author Biography

Sonja Hakala is a freelance writer, editor, and teacher. In addition to writing and quilting, she is also a founding member of the Children's Literary Foundation. She lives with her family in a riverside home in Vermont.

Excerpts

From the Introduction:
 
Every day, millions of women, and some men, express their inborn desire for beauty in fabric, needle, and thread. Quilting is as much an expression of the human yearning to reach beyond this life as a novel or a cave painting, and for many people, it’s more accessible.
 
From “A Patchwork of Words” by Earlene Fowler:
 
Just as most men appreciate a finely restored automobile, most women, whether or not they’ve ever threaded a needle in their life, cannot walk by a handmade quilt without stopping to admire its beauty and mystery. Something in quilts speaks to women and connects us—erasing everything that is different and highlighting everything that is the same.
 
From “Quilting for Love” by Maura C. Flannery:
 
“I started to quilt because of science, but now I quilt out of love. I teach biology and came up with the idea that there were similarities between science and quilting: both involve putting elements together to create new patterns, both are communal activities, and both require skilled work.”

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Excerpted from American Patchwork: True Stories from Quilters
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.