New Book about African-American Quilters, Past and Present

Hi Everyone!

It's been a fun filled, busy working, magical summer. I hope you are having a good summer.

Whew! It is hot hot hot in my town, going on 3 or 4 weeks now.  With the a/c on I can get allot of reading and writing done, but when I am trying to hold off to help prevent electrical overload it is dripping hot. I moved my "office" downstairs and I love it. I am using a 19th century sewing table as my desk. it is exactly 36" long with a yardstick measurement carved into it near the bottom edge, but not on the edge. It is 18" deep and the legs fold up!!

I wanted to link you to this touching video, seen on ABC news, about quilts being made in the Black community today. Black quilts: From slavery to the White House 

This new book is written by Patricia Turner,  a professor of Cultural Studies at University of California at Davis.

"Crafted Lives, Stories and Studies of African American Quilters"I have not read the book myself. The publisher's summary follows:

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In Crafted Lives: Stories and Studies of African American Quilters, Patricia A. Turner explores the culture and recent history of African Americans through the creations and wisdom of nine quilters. Turner profiles quilters who exemplify the range of black women and men dedicated to the making of quilts, and she shows how their craftwork establishes order and meaning in their lives. The artisans comprise eight women and one man, ranging from teenagers to octogenarians, representing an array of education and income levels, and living across the United States, including Alaska.

Turner also probes the ways in which African American quilts and quilters have been depicted, discussed, criticized, and characterized. From the displays of Harriet Powers's creations at the turn of the twentieth century to the contemporary exhibits of such black art-quilts as those promoted by Carolyn Mazloomi, and such utilitarian expressions as the celebrated examples from Gee's Bend, Alabama, Turner uses quilts to assess the level of control African Americans have had or have not had over the materials they craft and the art they leave as legacy to new generations.

 

Stay cool!