Red and White Quilts: Infinite Variety

Book excerpt: This significant catalog is a highly detailed look at the world’s most celebrated collection of red and white quilts. Like the Log Cabin or Baltimore-style, the red and white quilt is a hugely popular genre of quilting. Colorfast Turkey red dye became readily available in the mid-nineteenth century, so red and white quilts became extremely popular, due not only to the newness of the color but also because of the extremely vibrant and punchy contrasting color scheme. Featuring over 650 quilts from the past three centuries, this book is filled with the gorgeous and imaginative designs of feathered stars, diamonds, animals, oak leaves, baskets, lettering, and snowflakes, as well as fascinating examples of careful embroidery and appliqué. With inspiring handiwork, designs, and visual histories, this book exemplifies the sheer magnitude and poetry of red and white quilts and is a staple compendium of this beloved art form.