John Rice Irwin has personally conducted interviews with hundreds of old-time quiltmakers, some of whom were over one hundred years old. Detailed photographs taken by Pulitzer Prize winner Robin Hood depict an opulent conglomeration of quilts, from the community quilt which became known as the Murder Quilt. More importantly, Irwin looks under the quilts, at the lives of the people who created and used them. He explores their ambitions and aspirations, their struggles and disappointments. From the young ladies of Salem Valley who pieced a quilt for the town's most eligible bachelor in the hope that one of them would sleep under it, to the retired physician who began quilting in his late sixties to fill his spare time, Irwin presents their stories with compassion and candor. This lavishly illustrated volume is a treasure trove of creative needlework, colorful anecdotes, and intriguing personal histories which will entertain readers of all ages.

    It reads: "Never has there been such intense interest in a particular quilt style as there was in the crazy quilt during 1876-1900." This is a definitive book on this fascinating subject. A very interesting book for quilters and anyone interested in the art of fabric.

    One vibrant way women have spoken out is through quilts, and in the pages of Homage to Amanda the voice of more than six generations of American women can be heard. Originally created as a catalog to accompany a quilt exhibit sponsored by the San Diego Museum of Art and taken on tour by the Smithsonian Institution, Homage to Amanda chronicles the growth of American quilting from colonial days to the twentieth century. Seventy-two color plates illustrate the development of the American quilting tradition, examining ways in which the pastime has grown from necessity to art.

    It contains over 1,000 transfers.