Quilts in Red and Green and the Women Who Made Them

“Cares melt away…when you kneel in your

garden” begins a book just out about 19th century red and green appliqué quilts. Nancy Hornback and Terry Clothier Thompson have joined their passions for appliqué quilts and put together a visually terrific book with historical information about the makers and the ten quilts this book features. Appliqué templates, in their appropriate color -- red or green -- along with complete instructions to make the appliqué quilts are included, as are some common and rare quilting patterns found on floral appliqué quilts made in the 19th century. They provided the rarer ones on a fold-out sheet enabling them to be larger than the limits the book sets. Hand quilters will love this aspect of the book!

The quilts are from various personal collections and historical societies in Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Kansas, and Illinois, and have seldom been viewed in public. They are unique and wonderful!! .Most are varieties of smaller repeated block styles, some with a central focus and two in the four-block style, and another is a large five-block on point that fools the eye completely. It’s Lydia Mason’s Garden Quilt, made in Illinois in 1860.

I especially like how the authors mixed the genealogical findings with their thoughts when faced with uncertain findings. The text is on pages mixed with old and new pictures, like a scrapbook or collage, as Terry’s book often are. Other textiles, clothing, furniture, houses, close-up shots of fabrics, blocks and the old sewing tools are shown in large photographs, easily showing the detail.

Quilts in Red and Green and the Women Who Made Them is published by Kansas City Star Books. Also included in the 107 pages is an introduction of the authors and their approach, a bit of red and green appliqué quilt history and advice about choosing fabrics and colors and appliqué methods.

This book is a wonderful addition the study of red and green appliqué and the women who made them.