Book Description
Since the 19th century, the women of Gee’s Bend in southern Alabama have created stunning, vibrant quilts. Beautifully illustrated with 110 color illustrations, The Quilts of Gee’s Bend includes a historical overview of the two hundred years of extraordinary quilt-making in this African-American community, its people, and their art-making tradition. This book is being·released in conjunction with a national exhibition tour including The Museum of Fine Art, Houston, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Customer Reviews:
exceptional.......2007-03-30
I remember the first time I saw photographs of the quilts of Gee's Bend in a magazine about seven years ago. I couldn't wait to learn about the amazing artists whose vision the quilts portray. This book is more outstanding than I imagined it could be. It is powerful, beautiful, sensitive, and historically accurate. I recommend The Quilts of Gee's Bend to anyone with an eye for artistic genius and a love for discovering a community of women willing to express themselves outside the box of convention. How refreshing and inspiring! Simply Exceptional!!
.........a superb keepsake of a memorable trip. .......2007-03-08
Who is more qualified to help provide us with a book about the quilts of Gee's Bend, but Mr. Bill Arnett who has championed the makers of these quilts and their works since 'discovering' them years ago in the tiny community of Gee's Bend about thirty miles southwest of Selma, Alabama?
The quilts first went on tour in 2002 and have been touring ever since. I learned of the ladies of Gee's Bend and their quilts from a PBS documentary first aired in 2003 and have anxiously hoped they would one day come to my part of the country. When, earlier this year, I found the quilts would indeed be coming to the Orlando Museum of Art, I purchased, The Quilts of Gee's Bend: Masterpieces from a Lost Place, documenting the quilts, and the lives of their various makers, with beautiful, full-color illustrations of the quilts.
In February, 2007, when I was finally able to enjoy the quilts in person, I was happy to discover the book had accurately depicted the quilts, and their makers, paralleling an exhibition that should be seen and appreciated by all.
I purchased a copy of The Quilts of Gee's Bend: Masterpieces from a Lost Place, for the art teacher of my children's school. This beautiful book encouraged her to take her middle and high school art students to the exhibition. The book helped the students to first see and read about what they were going to view and then became a superb keepsake of a most memorable trip.
The Quilts of Gee's Bend.......2007-03-08
This is a beautiful book about both the women and the quilts of Gee's Bend. The photos make me feel as if I am back at the Gee's Bend Quilt Show.
Memories which must be kept 'real'.......2007-03-08
This book is already a treasure and one I can love and then bequeath to another art and tradition and people lover...
At the end of October in 2003, I was in Milwaukee to see this Quilt exhibition. Friends of Art from Indiana University drove to Chicago and then on to the marvelous museum in Milwaukee to experience the Quilts. What an awakening! That day I bought a Video. Since that time I have purchased the DVD and (when I found it online) the hardback book The Quilts of Gee's Bend! What a treasure! I am overjoyed to have this book and to have had the viewing experience! [I also use the USPS stamps and the book of postcards!] --Sarah K. Robinson
The Heart and Souls...........2007-01-27
The heart and souls of women are exposed in this poignant book of quilts, along with their "stories" past and present---of slavery on through the civil rights era, and now, life as it is in rural Alabama. The quilts, made out of necessity for their warmth, have become acclaimed Objects d' Art throughout the Art World. Having seen the documentary on television and the Quilt exhibit in San Francisco, I was compelled to purchase this beautiful book containing a compilation of these quilts and self-expressed comments from the community of women who have kept their quilt-making alive. I have purchased this book for myself and several others as gifts.
Amazon.com
Inspired by her love of fabric, Susan Carlson developed an approach to fabric collage that ultimately resulted in astonishing pictorial fabric art of richly layered textures and patterns. Her superb draftsmanship and masterful sense of color yields quilts more akin to painting than piecework. Luckily, she is just as expert at explaining her methods to others as she is at using them herself; the result is a book filled with crisp color images of her own work as well as some by her students, along with well-written text that details everything quilters need to know to start using her techniques. Rather than present specific how-tos to duplicate her designs, she teaches readers all her secrets so they can create their own designs, using her amazing works as inspiration. --Amy Handy
Book Description
The incredible underwater landscapes, still lifes, and portraits on these delightful pages illustrate how free-style collage techniques can produce exceptional quilts. With no limits and no rules to follow, the book simply demonstrates how different patterns were made. The technique is fun and easy, and the reader does not need a degree in art to produce images that are imaginative, creative, and artistic. Good tips for choosing fabric, drawing patterns, and finishing methods are included.
Customer Reviews:
For anyone interested in breaking free of traditional quilting.......2007-05-14
This book has so much creative inspiration in it! I did traditional quilting for 8 years and while I still love it there was something in me that would long to do something with all those fabrics that had printed animals and trees and bright flowers on them. Something non traditional. This book along with "Beautifully Embellished Lanscapes" by Joyce R Becker made my creative muse completely take off! Even if you don't like fish the techniques and inspirations in this book are sure to inspire you to make something that does capture your fancy. Sometimes there is something about seeing what other people have done that makes the wheels starting turning in your mind and helps you to come up with your methods. If you are even considering this book I would recommend you buy it and give it a try.
For Glue and FISH LOVERS.......2006-03-11
The title of this book is very misleading. First and foremost the ONLY technique recommended (or explored) by the author is cutting and GLUING fabric (yes, "GLUE"). The technique is developed from a combination of foundation and applique quilt methods; hence, the 'free-style' method, is to substitute glue for any and all other peicing methods. In addition, "No Rules" is not a 'play-on-words'; her techniques require extensive drafting/drawing, piece numbering etc. . Therefore, exact guides, measured 'seam allowances' (glue overlap allowances) etc., are imperative to her method.
Ms. Carlson is a huge fish lover. I, unfortunately, am not. 95% of the examples and 100% of the 'exercises' are of FISH. I had hoped for a wider range of subject matter; or that the book description had included this very relevant fact.
All of this being said, the book is very well organized, with lots of color photographs, well written, and true 'hands-on' step by step approach to the author's method.
However, unless you want to glue fabric and depict a lot of fish, I would recommend giving this title a pass.
Opens Up a Whole New World of Quilting Possibilities.......2005-04-14
I'm very new to quilting...having just completed my first quilt and I was looking for what to do next when I spotted Susan Carlson's Free-Style Quilts A "No Rules" Approach. The idea behind this book (and the title) intrigued me. The artist's work, and those of her students are very inspiring. I couldn't wait to start, so armed with the book I went to my local fabric store (okay truthfully I went to all the stores that carry fabric in a 30 mile radius). It changed the way I look at textiles. Picking out fabric, always so much fun now has a new dimension to it. Fabric I might have overlooked in the past holds so much promise/potential. Now I look at the patterns or textures thinking, could this become a fin? Oh, this would be perfect for a butterfly's wing! It's like creating a painting with fabric. Her free-style approach is very freeing. You can use an enlarged photocopy of the picture as a template to cut, but that's more of a springboard. Thanks Susan, I'm hooked. I've posted a picture of my first free-style project (it's still in progress). My mind is brimming with ideas from photos I took in Hawai'i, from flower shows, maybe this summer I'll even attempt a portrait!
What an amazing lady!!.......2005-02-28
I'm shaking. Literally! I have books for Africa on quilting and not one of them has made such an impression as this book. Susan Carlson is simply an artistic genius. Her quilts are nothing short of amazing, the beauty and the realism surpasses belief! Her techniques are simple, clearly explained and shared with enthusiastic joy. I started my own fan-fish, before I'd even finished the book! You're an inspiration Susan, thank you for such a marvelous, delicious book-it's certainly wet my artistic appetite and if I didn't live so far away (New Zealand), I'd be signed up for your next class!
Great Inspiration...and she shows you how.......2004-03-15
This book by Susan Carlson was THE first book that captured my attention, involving a different approach to quilting. I picked up her book at my local library, but I have since purchased my own copy. The traditional quilt patterns have been copied and rehashed so many times, and because they are now being mass produced and sold in department stores--I feel that traditional quilting has suffered somewhat. I was looking for something that I could create that was different and more individual. I like this book because Susan has been very generous in the information that she shares, and although many quilting books claim to do the same, many fall short of the mark. (If you will read the reviews of other "notable" quilting books-you will see what I mean.) Anyone who is looking for a new approach-buy this book and you will not be disappointed at all. The other books that I could recommend, would be the Gee's Bend books, and Piecing: Expanding the Basics by Ruth B. McDowell.
Book Description
"The authors had been told by 'authorities' that finding really fine quilts in what had been a rough frontier area was quite unlikely. But page after page of visually stunning quilts prove with a vengeance that experts can be wrongâ¦. Highly recommended." --Library Journal "More than anything else, the book provides a fascinating record of women's efforts to create beauty even when every hour and cent had to be spent merely to survive. It is also a tribute to families who have recognized and treasured those efforts through the generations." --Angleton Times The patchwork or pieced quilt is one of the few truly indigenous American art forms, and in the Lone Star State it has long been cherished. But most early Texas quilters were not aware that they were shaping an artistic heritage for the future. They quilted for simpler, personal reasons: to keep their families warm during bitter winters in poorly heated dugouts, to add a bit of color and cheer to drab cabins on the plains, to pass lonely hours far away from distant family and friends, to welcome a firstborn child, or to plan for the arrival of long-awaited guests. Some women quilted for their own gratification: the pleasure of piecing cloth that met neatly and evenly, the satisfaction of quilting tiny, precise stitches that held the cloth and enhanced the design, the contentment of binding and finishing a quilt that represented a piece of the quilter's life and heart. In quilting, Texas women (and the occasional man) took part in an artistic heritage that reflected the needs of life in a new land. In Lone Stars: A Legacy of Texas Quilts, 1836-1936, over sixty of the finest quilts made in Texas or brought to Texas during that period are beautifully documented in full color and glowing text. Selected from more than 3,500 quilts analyzed during an intensive two-year search in twenty-seven cities and towns across Texas, these treasures reflect the highest order of design and technique. Because they are prized family heirlooms or from private collections, virtually none of these quilts has ever before come to public attention. Unknown until now, they are masterpieces of quilt art and significant historical records. The photographs show the full quilts, details, and, in some cases, their makers. The text describes the characteristics of each quilt--physical description, sizes, fabrics, colors, pattern name, quality of workmanship, artistic merit, and overall design concept. Placing the quilt in perspective, Lone Stars also relates the family history and provenance of the pieceËstories told about the quilt and its maker or owners--and looks at quilting in Texas and its relation to the tradition of quilting as practiced in other regions. A useful as well as lovely volume, Lone Stars adds immeasurably to our knowledge of Texas' rich cultural and artistic heritage.
Customer Reviews:
Great quilts, great stories.......2001-07-31
What fun the authors must have had in writing this book! As they did in Volume I (1836-1936) Ms Bresenhan and Ms. Puentes give us quality color pictures of Texas quilts, pictures of the quilters and stories about the quilts and the makers. After seeing the quilts and reading the stories you feel as if you know these Texas women who expressed their artistic creativity through the medium of quilt-making.
Included in volume II (1936-1986) are quilts by Pamela Studsill, a two time recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Visual Arts Fellowship. Also featured is the "Pele" quilt by fiber artist Beth Kennedy. And of course there are also some very traditional quilts from the 30's and 40's and delightful innovative work from the 70's and 80's.
Delightful book.......2001-07-31
I cannot believe someone hasn't reviewed this book yet. It is wonderfully charming with beautiful, large color pictures of 63 quilts made in Texas between the years of 1836 and 1936. Accompanying each quilt is also a picture of the quiltmaker and a page about her life and quilt.
The stories of the women are as interesting as their quilts. One story tells of a woman alone with her baby, hearing the Indians circling her log cabin. She spins all night to listen to the whistle of her spinning wheel so as not to be afraid. What wonderful foremothers we had, who left us a legacy of their courage and industry as well as their beautiful handiwork.
Book Description
-Offers quilters a versatile skill useful in other hobbies
-Unique approach answers the question of how to select colors for a quilt
-Lie-flat binding creates the perfect guide for hands-on learning
Colors often make the quilt; but too often quilters aren't sure which colors are best and which combination of fabrics works well together. This book solves the issue of selecting the right colors and fabrics for any quilt, by giving quilters tips for developing an eye for color, and an understanding of how fabrics and colors relate to one another.
In this informative book, quilters will discover:
-Chapters devoted to testing colors using swatches, colored pencils and computerized quilting programs
-Guides for selecting colors and fabrics based on desired effects in a quilt
-Five different color themes -- demonstrated on block designs from 10 popular block families
-800 color images to demonstrate various color schemes of the same quilt
Customer Reviews:
Quilters will find this indispensable........2006-10-15
Over seven hundred color variations for a range of traditional and modern quilting and patchwork designs, from nine-patch to octagons, are packed into Celia Eddy's The Quilter's Color Scheme Bible, a handy reference which provides at-a-glance details for quilters who want to mix and match designs and colors. Arrangements focus on complimentary tonal variations and include choices of these combinations, each shown as a photographed fabric swatch. Comments include notes on mood influences, changes between combinations, how the eye perceives patterns and designs, and more. Quilters will find this indispensable.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
It's color schemes. Not color theory........2006-08-26
Every quilter gets stumped, at some point, when considering the fabrics and colors to use in a quilt. None of us want to invest the considerable amount of time, energy, and love that goes into creating a quilt, only to have the end result appear muddy, or garish, or with one color clashing with another.
The Quilter's Color Scheme Bible does indeed show you 700 variations of color on quilt blocks and in (somewhat abbreviated) quilts (that is, you see a 3x3 grid, not an entire quilt). Each page in the easy-to-flip-open book shows a given block (say, a bear's paw), with 7 examples of color schemes that will work. Since the book is separated by theme -- harmonious colors, saturated colors, shades, etc -- the most common blocks are shown with a couple dozen color combinations. So if you're stumped for how to choose colors with "puss in the corner" and not sure whether it'll work better with fall leaf colors or lilac shades, this book should certainly help you make choices. Certainly, it's rather stunning to see how your color choice can change the mood of the quilt or the patterns your eye follows.
However, this book isn't about teaching you to _think_ in color. It's primarily giving you a handy menu shortcut to help you _choose_ color. If you're staring at two indigo fabrics in your stash and wondering what would contrast best with them, this book could be a helpful tool. (I think I could accomplish almost as much by browsing colors in Electic Quilt 5, but the book is a lot cheaper than the software.)
One sign that this is not a book that is serious about explaining how color "works" and how to make your own choices is that its color wheel repeats an old error... one that makes me wince every time I see it. The color wheel is presented with the primary colors as red, yellow, and blue -- when that is NOT SO. The "blue" that you first met as a primary color in kindergarten is actually _cyan_. In most of life, who cares -- but this is a book about color, and it ought to be explicit and correct. Amazon has several books about color theory for quilters, but the one with which I'm most familiar (and I like quite a bit -- I learned a lot) is Color Play: Easy Steps to Imaginative Color in Quilts, by Joen Wolfrom.
As a result, the value of this book varies based on what you're shopping for. If you want a "Cliff's Notes" to color choices, this one will do just fine. It will not serve your needs adequately, however, if what you seek is a book to help you "think better" about color.
Customer Reviews:
My creative juices were nudged to boiling through this book........1999-01-15
From page one the reader is engaged in the creative process that brings us to the 'look' of quilts that has evaded us. Not only does Ms. Marston identify the character of quilting that has drawn so many of us to the art and, until now, been miising from our quilts.....she invites us into and through the process. Amazingly simple techniques are reviewed and once implemented, make 'nice' quilts.....'remarkable' quilts. This one is for any quilter out there who's quilts need "something" or is contemplating their first heirloom quilt. It has redefined my craft and creativity.
FINALLY, a book that understands the hand quilter!.......1998-09-18
From one hand quilter to another, "Quilting With Style" by Gwen Marston and Joe Cunningham is fantastic! It's concise, down to earth, and LOTS of information on the actual hand quilting Designs! It's about time!! They emphasis the importance of the quilting being as beautiful as the piecing or applique of the top itself. What brings a quilt 'to life' and how to choose your designs to accent your quilt top. It's a MUST READ! Karen Bush, Professional Hand Quilter
Customer Reviews:
My Hero.......2007-07-01
I adore Ruth McDowell's work and have felt that way for years. This book is a wonderful book, full of great pictures of truly great quilts. I've spent much time looking through the book. I pick it up every now and then and just enjoy it. It is an awe inspiring work and it is also thought provoking.
Inspirational, not instructional.......2007-03-10
The originality of the quilts in this book are awe inspiring, but don't expect to get any instructional how-to's. The author uses some verbage to describe what motivated her designs (many flowers and plants transformed into fiber art), but leaves the actual making of such to the imagination of the reader. This is a digest of the author's evolution as a quilter.
Quilting unbound!.......2001-07-13
Ruth McDowell's well-documented journey to develop an extremely personal and artistic quilting 'statement' almost leaves you breathless. She has been able to adapt complex photos and themes into vibrant fabric art, using mostly traditional quilting techniques. However, her innovative use of fabrics (plaids never had it so good), shapes, and design concepts truly rate the title of "Art & Inspirations". A good friend with whom I shared the book got halfway through and said "I'm afraid to turn the pages - they're all so wonderful I can hardly stand it." My sentiments exactly.
clear inspiration, even for a novice like myself!.......1999-08-19
What a joyous collection of inspiring images! This amazing teacher creates paintings with fabric. Her wording is clear and uncomplicated for the novice and, I am sure, challenging enough for the seasoned quilter. Buy this book to look at as well as to learn from! I purchased it to use as inspiration for my paintings but Ms. McDowell makes the whole process sound exciting enough to get me peicing too!
Shows the growth a True Quilt Artist.......1998-06-02
What is surprising about this book is that it is not just a text-book showing simple patterns that you can copy, nor is it a picture book of dozens of incredible quilts that you will probably never equal. Instead this is a clear-eyed tour of the history of a wonderful Quilt Artist. Ruth shows some of her first simple, but well chosen and unique quilt patterns. These simple patterns from nature, lead directly to her more complex quilts, where she shows her increased talents in dazzling quilts of landscapes and semi-abstract trees and plants. But if nothing else, this book is well worth the cost for the single quilt using her daughter's outline in translucent black cloth in an amazing picture quilt. This is a book of inspirations for quilters at all levels.
Book Description
Recapture the beauty and charm of times past. Vintage-Style Quilts, from Creative Arts Crafts, shows the reader how to use both vintage fabrics and new fabrics to re-create an old world look in quilting designs. Whether choosing a vintage washed flax, a faded floral cotton, or a contemporary damask, old and new fabrics can be used separately or in tandem to achieve comforting quilt patterns. The combination of muted colors, soft feel of vintage fabrics, and classic designs helps the reader create decorating magic, whether sewing by hand or by machine. - 25 projects, including quilts, throws, cushions, accessories, and gifts - Over 350 color photographs and illustrations provide design ideas and inspiration - Explains classic quilting, patchwork, and sewing techniques in easy-to-follow text - Highlights the benefits of both hand and machine sewing - Offers advice on selecting fabrics, colors, and patterns
Customer Reviews:
Simple and beautiful projects.......2006-04-12
I liked the variety of smaller projects in this book - easy to understand and follow even for beginners. Also, no need for a real long attention span for many of these, as they are pretty quick to put together. I made the clothespin bag without the lining and it turned out great.
A selection of attractive projects, and nostalgic feel........2004-11-22
What delightful vintage fabrics the author has!
Containing only 4 actual quilts, all of which are very simple and tasteful, the book mainly comprises using quilting for small projects.
There are 5 cushions and covers, very attractive projects using a variety of old fabrics combined with new, and loads of things in Household Linen - a variety of bags, table runners & tablecloths, and a hot water bottle cover.
Every project turns out beautifully, but not all of them are terribly useful. It depends on your focus. If you can be bothered, I note a lot of people like to make these sorts of little fiddlies and gift them.
I was very interested in the quilted pattern for the placemats - a delightful traditional japanese style.
There is a separate section for Gifts and Decorations containing yet more fiddly bags, and oddly enough, a garland. It's a row of fabric flags - cute but weird.
Additionally, there is a template for every project in the back of the book.
My feelings? I would have been disappointed to have purchased this book hoping for quilting inspiration or how-to's.
Purchase, being aware that it mostly comprises smaller projects than bedspread quilts, and most designs will not look as perfect without the old world fabrics employed by the author.
Still, a lovely book to browse through, and an inspiration to gather your own vintage fabric repertoire.
Kotori '2004
Book Description
You'll find the perfect vest to match your personal style in this beautiful collection! Designs that need only minimal finishing are great for any season and every occasion--plus they're super-quick to knit (no sleeves!).
• Fifteen pullover and button-up vests rely on easy, richly textured stitches
• Small to extra-large projects for women and men are made with wool, cotton, mohair, and angora
• Includes personalized options for necklines, borders, and other stylish details
Product Description
Signs and Symbols: African Images in African American Quilts (2nd Edition)
Customer Reviews:
eye-opening and wonderful.......2007-01-31
I saw the Gee's Bend exhibit and was overwhelmed by the energy, the art, and the human story in those amazing quilts. They were so different from mainstream quilts, and I wanted to find out more about African American traditions in quilting. I stumbled over Signs & Symbols at my local library and loved it. It not only has wonderful photos of quilts, but delves into the symbols and artistic structure of the quilts and how they relate to traditional African art and symbols---with plenty of photos of African textiles, amulets, etc. I'm no expert in anthropology and ethnology, but I am familiar with academic research, and I think Wahlman has presented a wealth of fascinating and compelling evidence for the relationship.
The quilts are truly stunning, the quilting (not just the piecing) shows up well in many of the photos, and dimensions are given (which I'm delighted by---I can get a feel for the measurements of the patches and blocks). This book's quilts are informing my own quilts and will be for many years. In terms of influence on my work, I put Signs & Symbols in the same category with Liberated Quiltmaking (by Gwen Marston).
Be aware, this is not a how-to book. There are no projects, and no descriptions of how to make quilts. But if you like quilt books that are filled with beautiful old quilts, and want to immerse yourself in a different and entrancing quilting tradition, you'll love this book.
Books:
- The Square Root of Two
- The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
- The Well-Tended Perennial Garden: Planting and Pruning Techniques
- Top Secret Recipes: Creating Kitchen Clones of America's Favorite Brand-Name Foods (Plume)
- Toppers
- Toy Knits: More Than 30 Irresistible and Easy-to-Knit Patterns
- Ultimate Galactus Vol. 2: Secret
- Upholstery: A Beginners' Guide
- Venice & the East: The Impact of the Islamic World on Venetian Architecture 1100-1500
- Waiting for Wings
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- How to Use the Internet to Advertise, Promote and Market Your Business or Website with Little or No
- Wandering Home: A Long Walk Across America's Most Hopeful Landscape:Vermont's Champlain Valley and N
- Sandy Dennis: A Personal Memoir
- Rapid Reference Guide to Adobe Illustrator
- The Post-Birthday World
- Why Men Love Bitches: From Doormat to Dreamgirl-A Woman's Guide to Holding Her Own in a Relationship
- The Common Names of Wild Flowers in English and French
- Reliable Financial Reporting and Internal Control: A Global Implementation Guide
- The Culturally Customized Web Site: Customizing Web Sites for the Global Marketplace
- Granta 72: Overreachers
African American
| Regional
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Gee's Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt
The Quilts of Gee's Bend: 30 Postcards
Gee's Bend: The Art of the Quilt Notecard Box
Signs and Symbols: African Images in African American Quilts (2nd Edition)
Nancy Crow
