Product Description

In this pioneering publication, Winterthur’s renowned quilt collection is presented through dazzling color photographs that showcase rich fabrics and skillful needlework techniques. The letters of twenty-three-year-old Mary Remington, a dedicated quilt maker, and the extraordinary whitework quilt she made in 1815—the only known example of an American quilted coat of arms—provide themes for the book, which looks at the quilts through the lives of their makers. Among the reproductions included—many are being seen here for the first time—are quilts that express religious faith or commemorate marriages and other family connections; quilts in support of political candidates, made by women who could not vote; quilted bedspreads with matching quilted valances and dressing-table covers pictured in room settings; and much more.

This exquisite presentation provides a rare opportunity to view the strengths of the Winterthur quilt collection—highlighting examples from the period of the early American republic—and to understand how the economics and politics of the time affected quilt materials and design in the early nineteenth century.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #299645 in Books
• Published on: 2007-02-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 208 pages

About the Author
Linda Eaton is curator of textiles at Winterthur Museum and Country Estate.

Customer Reviews

Quilts, History and a whole lot more
I purchased this book as a momento of my trip to the Winterthur Estate. The estate is fabulous and well worth the visit. In the book you not only have some fabulous quilts but you also get the history too. This book would be a great addition to anyone's library or coffee table. Linda has included excerpts from letters, poems and advertising. This is not just "another" quilt book. It is a well researched and written history book.It is a fabulous read.

Historical perspective on quilting focusing on the collection of H. F. DuPont @ Winterthur
My wife is a "quilter". While I was on the East Coast attending a family reunion, one of my cousins, with whom I was staying, asked if I wanted to join her in a tour of Winterthur, close to where she lives. I accepted the invitation and totally enjoyed it especially the quilt collection there. I am not a quilter myself - there are some males interested in and "artists" in this art form, but I have become acquainted with it through my wife's interest in it. When I saw this book, examined it and checked out other's reviews of it, I decided it would make a nice birthday gift for my wife. I liked the fact that it dealt with the history of this art form here in the US, the quilt makers of particular quilts, and the progression of technique in "constructing" them. To me it would appeal to my wife's knowledge of this art form through the collection of the H. F. DuPont family.

A Chance to See Magnificent Quilts from the Winterthur Collection
"Quilts from a material world" is a long-awaited opportunity to view some of the finest quilts in Winterthur's collections, but also to have them expertly placed in social, economic, mercantile, and political context by Linda Eaton's well-researched and readable narrative. This book is a must for quilt and fabric historians, American history buffs, and members of the general reading public who are interested in knowing more about American material culture (in both senses of the word "material"). It is an excellent contribution to the study of fabrics and quilts.