Patchwork: A World Tour

by Catherine LeGrand

A vibrant, in-depth survey of the techniques and traditions of patchwork around the world. What do Korean bojagi wrapping cloths, Cameroonian Bamileke boubous, Peruvian montera hats, and Hungarian cifraszür shepherd cloaks have in common? Each is made using the ancient technique of patchwork―the art of juxtaposing fabrics and motifs to create blankets, clothes, accessories, and more. This volume follows Catherine Legrand as she sews together an ethnographic patchwork map. Legrand has spent many years traveling and researching textiles and has a deep knowledge of the techniques and traditions that characterize patchwork, enabling her to create an engaging fabric-inspired travelogue. Pieced together much like the gorgeous textiles it portrays, Legrand’s beautifully illustrated history features over 300 dazzling photographsof patchwork from around the world and takes the reader from Europe and the Americas to Africa and Asia, where these ancient traditions survive, and patchwork is part of the fabric of everyday life. Textile artists, patchwork enthusiasts, and designers of all stripes will discover an endless source of inspiration. 300+ color illustrations

Genres: Nonfiction, Quilting, Crafts, Art

216 pages, Hardcover

Published February 7, 2023

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is WAY too short. It’s amazing, but Mexico and Canada each get two pages?!!! Peru gets just four? We are going to need about three more volumes!

[Lorry Chwazik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This excellent reference explores the variety of patchwork techniques developed by traditional cultures in the Americas, Africa and Near East, Asia, and Europe. Included are stunning examples of quilts, garments, storage bags, baby bibs, and even camel trappings. Did you know a silkworm’s woven cocoon yields 1500 meters of thread? Women in a minority tribe in China make silk felt by denying the silkworms a branch for cocooning and instead sentencing them to a four-day continual crawl across a board onto which they interweave their own threads before they die. So many common motifs, fabrics, and techniques are found in distant places around the globe, perhaps the most common being the use of patchwork to reflect both a culture’s identity and an individual’s desire to create beauty.

[Laurla2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

-4-5 stars. i didnt read every single word, but i read the photo descriptions, and if the picture piqued my interest i read the rest of the page. i enjoyed the many pictures of all the different types of patchwork sewing from around the world. there were lots of stories of why the people in this region sewed their scraps in this particular manner and i found that interesting too. the book is divided by continent, and then by country, with 35 different countries represented. wonderful color pictures of a wide variety of items.

[Ronda Canary · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.4

[Marge · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nicely researched and photographed history of quilting and patchwork. A good historical reference book.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photographs of a lovely collection. Credit given with detailed bibliography.

[Doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book. I highly recommend it if you love history, cultural/ethic history, handicrafts, sewing.