Books - 19th Century/Country

The Kansas City Star began printing traditional quilt patterns in 1928. The My Stars series is Kansas City Star Quilts' effort to redraft the entire historical collection. Patterns include Broken Stone, Indian Star, Ozark Trail, Queen Charlotte's Crown and Mountain Road, to name a few. Each of the 25 patterns in this book includes fabric requirements, templates and assembly instructions, as well as the original sketch and caption that were printed in the newspaper.  Author: Kansas City Star; Softcover; 89 pages.

Discover a 15 outstanding quilt patterns from the talented fabric designers at Henry Glass & Co. The designers and the publisher are donating the royalties from the sale of this book to the Red Cross. Compiled by Linda Lum Debono; Softcover; 96 pages.

Discover the captivating history of applique with this revised edition of Barbara Brackman's classic book. Fully revised and updated, this is the classic compendium of applique designs. Featuring 2,000 traditional and modern applique patterns from the 19th and 20th centuries, plus 5 applique quilt projects and an authoritative and entertaining history of the technique, this is a book no applique lover can afford to miss. Author: Barbara Brackman; Softcover; 96 pages.

Dawn Heese of Linen Closet Designs finds inspiration in antique textiles, laces, and trims, but her focus is on using modern tools and fabrics to create quilts that appear as if they're vintage. Dawn mixes muted checks, plaids, and stripes with prints to create quilts that have a classic, timeworn, well-loved look. Using her tips and instructions, you can re-create the quilts to suit your style. Whether you choose an easy patchwork project, take on a stunning appliqué design, or spend time relaxing and hand stitching a wool table mat, with Dawn's expert advice you can capture the same time-honored look to display in your home. Softcover; 96 pages.

Featuring a dozen warm and cozy designs, County Seat Quilts is the culmination of a year-long quilt club at coauthor Julie Hendricksen's Wisconsin quilt shop, J.J. Stitches. Now you, too, can be part of the club, with a year's worth of achievable lap-quilt patterns. So start stitching, then get decorating--the quilts work equally well on a table, draped on your favorite chair or sofa, or as decorative wall art. Give traditional blocks such as Nine Patches and Ohio Stars a new twist by changing your color placement of lights and darks, adding an easy pieced border, or omitting a border completely. All of the patterns are easy to stitch; many are made with strips and squares. The most difficult thing about them may be deciding which one to make first! Authors: Julie Hendricksen and Vickie Gerike; Softcover; 80 pages.

The 1922, The Farmer's Wife magazine posed this question to their readers: "If you had a daughter of marriageable age, would you, in light of your own experience, have her marry a farmer?" The magazine at the time had 750,000 subscribers, and received over 7,000 letters. The best answers to this question are included in this book, along with the traditional quilt blocks they inspired.

Laurie Aaron Hird provides everything you need to be inspired and create your own sampler quilt: 111 six-inch quilt blocks, with assembly diagrams for piecing the blocks and template cutting directions; Complete instruction for making a sampler quilt in any traditional size: lap, twin, queen or king; Download access to easy-to-print, full-sized templates for all 111 blocks, and printable quilt construction diagrams; 42 letters from the 1922 Farmer's Wife contest to give you a priceless glimpse into our country's past.

Softcover; 255 pages.

Stitch 18 petite quilts packed with style! Best-selling author Kim Diehl is at it again with spectacular, small, and scrappy projects. In the third book of her Simple series, Kim continues to delight you with helpful Extra Snippet tips, tried-and-true decorating ideas, and the many perks of pint-size projects. The 18 delightful projects feature traditionally pieced blocks, a sprinkling of Kim’s signature invisible machine appliqué, and even a bit of wool appliqué. Delve into your scrap basket and create triangle squares, flying geese, stars, and more to create stunning little quilts for your home.

Deceptively Simple Strip-Pieced Quilts.  Create graphically stunning quilts inspired by overshot weaving designs. Choose from 15 unique and beautiful designs featuring circles, diamonds, and squares-all made using only rectangles. Author: Robert Decarli.  Softcover, 96 pages.

The pairing of red and green is an enduring palette that takes its place among the classics. Centuries ago, red-and-green quilts commemorated a marriage or a woman's transition to the empty-nest stage at home. Times have changed, but admiration for the color combination remains strong. Use modern-day techniques to create 14 timeless quilts from the spectacular designers whose work you know and love. Susan Ache · Lissa Alexander · Lisa Bongean · Pam Buda · Betsy Chutchian · Carol Hopkins · Sheryl Johnson · Sandy Klop · Jo Morton · Laurie Simpson · Edyta Sitar · Karen Styles · Corey Yoder · Paula Barnes & Mary Ellen Robison. Softcover, 112 pages.

Martingale's "Big Book" series just keeps getting bigger! This 17th addition to the series boasts a whopping 51 patterns for the versatile lap quilt - designs for seasons, holidays, special days, and every day abound. And at just 55 cents per pattern, quilters can enjoy the inspiration and the savings! Lap quilts are the perfect size for so many occasions: cozy cuddling, creative decorating, gift giving, and more. A roster of well-known designers makes it easy to choose a favorite. Quilters will lap up this lovely lap-quilt collection - there are SO many ways to enjoy it. Softcover, 237 pages.

Best-selling author Laurie Aaron Hird of The Farmer’s Wife Sampler Quilt shares the next installment of this beloved series.
A few years before Ada Melville Shaw’s death in 1937, she wrote–and The Farmer’s Wife magazine published–a seven-part series of articles about her homesteading adventures. It is this series of articles that come to life in The Farmer’s Wife Homestead Medallion Quilt.
Master of traditional quilting, Laurie Aaron Hird has used Ada’s writings to inspire the 120 classic quilt blocks that surround a stunning center medallion. Full instructions for sewing this queen-sized sampler quilt, featuring 64 six-inch and 56 eight-inch blocks, are included.
The Farmer’s Wife Homestead Medallion Quilt templates for paper-piecing and rotary cutting are provided in a ready-to-print, easy-to-download PDF, available through url provided.
Travel back with Laurie and Ada to 1910s Montana where a homesteading pioneer woman inspired a contemporary quilt for the modern age.  Softcover, 271 pages.

Keep more than just a journal - keep a record of your quilting life! Photographed at designer Lisa Bongean's beautiful lakeside home, this inspiring week-by-week journal is filled with eye candy to enjoy year-round. Answer fun prompts to create lists for must-do quilting adventures, keep track of projects, document gift and charity quilts, or simply keep this gorgeous date book as a memory journal for future generations of quilters in your family to cherish. This is a soft cover book with 112 full colored pages. It measures "5.25"x "8.375". By Lisa Bongean

Explore the patchwork style and scrappy flair of 58 history-rich quilts inspired by patterns and fabrics from the 1800s. Showcase the traditional color combinations of reproduction fabrics and popular Civil War-era blocks that quilters love in patterns for mini-quilts, lap quilts, and large bed-size projects. Use your favorite reproduction fabrics--including scraps and precuts--in quilts ranging from simple to intricate, all created by expert designers. Softcover, 240 pages.

Featherweight history at your fingertips.  Enjoy an entertaining look at the history of the Featherweight sewing machine.  Expanded third edition updated with the latest research. Packed with photos, stories, and handy information.  Learn to date and troubleshoot your machine.  A fun read for quilters, Featherweight owners, and history buffs. Softcover, 220 pages.

A must-read for Civil War enthusiasts and quilters seeking accurate information on reproducing Civil War quilts. The stories of fourteen extraordinary Civil War quilts and the women who made them bring you face to face with the drama of war and its effect on thousands of lives. Some of these quilts tell love stories others relate the determination of women seeking an active role in the war effort, but all represent efforts to support the fighting men. The book contains patterns and information for making "bock by block" or "potholder" quilts, with more than 45 quilt block patterns with templates for hand piecing or rotary cutting for machine piecing. Also included is information on reproduction fabrics and selecting contemporary fabrics for reproducing Civil War soldiers quilts today. This second edition also features a lively discussion of the Jane Stickle quilt, one of the most famous quilts made during the Civil War. With patterns rich in personal histories and strong visuals, author Pamela Weeks continues to deliver, and then some.  Hardcover, 180 pages

Manners & Morals of Victorian America is your gateway to the fashionable world of Victorian America. It draws from the wealth of late 19th and early twentieth etiquette books. With over 400 historic engravings and illustrations, the book details virtually every aspect of Victorian life, including the proper conduct for courtship and wooing, duties of husbands and wives, how to deal with a rejected suitor and even carriage and motoring manners. Softcover, 180 pages.

 

Your one-stop shop for everything quilting! Absorb the knowledge of 20+ quilt experts in one place! With hundreds of photographs and illustrations to help you plan your quilting projects, this comprehensive guide answers all of your quiltmaking questions. Included in this handy reference guide: fabric 101; piecing and applique by hand and machine; understanding color, value, and quilt design; start-to-finish quilt construction; quilting motifs, tips, and tricks; and an A-to-Z glossary of quilting terms, plus a handy index. It's the must-have book for any quilter! A quilter's complete handbook with 100 block patterns and projects galore. Learn rotary cutting, pressing, piecing, and applique, as well as advanced techniques like chain piecing, quilt-as-you-go, crazy quilting, and more. Pick the right supplies, tools, and fabric every time! All about precuts, colors, and quilt design basics. Finish your quilt like a pro, from the "quilt sandwich" to hand- and machine-quilting motifs to binding

 

A Bargello effect is achieved with the "Quick Quarter" pattern. The patterns are easy enough for a beginner but will challenge seasoned quilters to achieve just the perfect effect for an inspiration quilt. Eleanor's technique for this quilt is fun and so easy that it is truly a "Quilt in a Day."  Yardage and cutting charts are included for all five-quilt sizes with bonus instructions to make table runners from your scraps. The book features sample quilts that symbolize locations from the desert to the sea. Take a trip to your sewing room and create your dream vacation with a Quick Trip Quilt!

Star Log Cabin adds a new dimension of beauty to the classic Log Cabin pattern. Using her famous Log Cabin book as the foundation, Eleanor has developed an assembly-line method of adding stars among the blocks. These are easy stars, not diamond patches! Choose from several different layouts for a distinctive look. Great for intermediate quilters. 91 pages.

Another Quilt in a Day Classic!

Courthouse Steps, a traditional variation of the Log Cabin block, is updated by Quilt in a Day. You'll find four different blocks and several layouts in this beginner's book, along with easy-to-follow directions and comprehensive illustrations. Full-color photos of finished quilts will inspire you to complete your own masterpiece! This book contains quilt sizes from baby to king. Layouts for: Lanterns, Blossoms, Mountains and Valleys, Windmill, & Chevrons.  63 pages.

Eleanor's love for log cabin quilts continues on, in her Sixth edition of Quilt in a Day Log Cabin. It celebrates the original and is bursting with new ideas. The timeless, innovative method of assembly-line sewing Planned Blocks is still included, mainly targeted for beginners. She has added pre-cut 2 1/2" strips for more color and an all new Log Cabin Ruler for cutting 2 1/2" strips to perfect individual size logs. 127 pages.

Join in the celebration of our country's schools with Eleanor Burns' Schoolhouse Wallhanging. This is one of America's most recognized and favored quilt patterns. Although the design looks intricate, it has been made much easier for you to create with quick cutting and speed sewing techniques.  No templates are used, just easy strip piecing and assembly-line sewing with several different layouts from which to choose! Even the roof line consists of strips sewn together and cut on the 60 degree line. 

Follow the crazy quilt road with Kathy Seaman Shaw! You loved Stunning Stitches for Crazy Quilts, and we now bring you 350 more techniques perfect for use in crazy quilting projects. Kathy guides you through templates to get fantastic seams every time. Discover more seams in this collection, with taller and wider options to fill complex areas of your quilt. You will find instructions on creating embroidery stitches, including the stitches from her first collection. Author: Kathy Seaman Shaw, 143 pages.

You don’t have to be a master embroiderer to create beautiful crazy-quilt seams! With 480 seam designs to inspire your creativity, you’ll learn to stitch with uniform spacing for a professional appearance. Line everything up perfectly with five pages of full-size stitch templates and dozens of step-by-step illustrations. Then dress up embroidery thread with sparkly beads, buttons, sequins, and silk ribbon embellishments for endless creative combinations! Author: Kathy Seaman Shaw, 127 pages.

Home is where you honor the everyday happenings and celebrate special events and accomplishments. If decorating your house to make it a home, you'll love the ideas in this book. Stacy West creates layers of cozy home decor in settings large and small, mixing vintage finds with new favorites for a rich blend of style and functionality. Indulge in more than 350 gorgeous photos and learn how to create the looks from start to finish. Author: Stacy West; Martingale; 240 pages (6-3/4" x 8"); softcover.

The 14 quilts in this book were inspired by antique quilts from unknown quilt makers. This two-color combination has captured hearts throughout the years and you can continue the traditional with favorites of your own from this collection. Patchwork, applique and medallion quilts are all featured. Author: Various; Martingale; 96 pages; softcover.

These small quilts have spectacular style. Packed with 13 small quilts that are perfect for decorating your home, the author, owner of Primitive Gatherings, shares her best tips and tricks for precisely pieced small quilts so you can start and finish with ease. Set up a charming vignette with a small quilt as the backdrop, or make your little quilt the star of the show by framing it. Author: Lisa Bongean; Martingale Press; 80 pages; softcover.

If you love vintage quilts you will love these extra scrappy friendship quilts. Known for quilts that replicate patterns from the 1800s, the authors (owners of Red Crinoline Quilts) present scrapper patterns that are perfect for block swamps with friends. Expert tips for setting up a block exchange are also included. Authors: Paula Barnes and Mary Ellen Robison; Martingale Press; 80 pages; softcover.

These small quilts are delightful and you can never have enough! This book features 12 traditional patterns, one a quilt as tiny as 13" square and the largest just 34" x 42". Stack them on table tops, tuck them into cozy vignettes, and share them with people you love. Author: Pam Buda; Martingale Press; 80 pages; softcover.

The thirteen quilts in this book are inspired by the people, place and events of the Civil War. You’ll use your reproduction fabrics to stitch tributes to the trends of the time. Each quilt is shown with step-by-step directions. Author: Carol Hopkins; Martingale Press; 80 pages; softcover.