Here is my Goodreads review. Please add your thoughts if/when you read the book. 3- Texas was second only to Kentucky in documenting quilts and creating a book and exhibit. Written in 1986 may not be an 'excuse' but in those thirty intervening years from then until 2016, much has been clarified or perhaps the study of quilts has become more scholarly but I found there to be a great deal of 'romanticizing' and personal assumptions in the commentary on the quilts as well as frequent reference to very early books in which much of the information has been updated. One example states that the best way to date a quilt is by the predominant fabric in it as opposed using the 'newest' fabric in it. Even if most of the fabric seems to be from the 1880's, if there are depression era prints or a poly double knit, even in small amount, one cannot date the quilt 1880's. The stated aim was to discover unknown quilts still in private hands and did not include documenting quilts already known in Texas museums. The following statement is an example of text that begs for some documentation but there is none given: "One quilts seen at the Austin Quilt Day, made in Alabama, contained over 100,00 pieces smaller than a grain of rice." Wow. Really?
Texas was second only to Kentucky in documenting quilts and creating a book and exhibit. Written in 1986 may not be an 'excuse' but in those thirty intervening years from then until 2016, much has been clarified or perhaps the study of quilts has become more scholarly but I found there to be a great deal of 'romanticizing' and personal assumptions in the commentary on the quilts as well as frequent reference to very early books in which much of the information has been updated. One example states that the best way to date a quilt is by the predominant fabric in it as opposed using the 'newest' fabric in it. Even if most of the fabric seems to be from the 1880's, if there are depression era prints or a poly double knit, even in small amount, one cannot date the quilt 1880's.
The stated aim was to discover unknown quilts still in private hands and did not include documenting quilts already known in Texas museums.
The following statement is an example of text that begs for some documentation but there is none given: "One quilts seen at the Austin Quilt Day, made in Alabama, contained over 100,00 pieces smaller than a grain of rice." Wow. Really?