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Not your grandmother’s quilt!

November 25th, 2016 · No Comments · Books, City Library, Main Branch, West Branch

Quilts and quilting have been around for centuries as a practical as well as a decorative art. Over the years methods of cutting and assembling quilts have changed. The reasons for making quilts, however, are much the same as they were when our grandmothers made them.

Quilts were made to be used as bed covers but they were often designed to be pleasing to look at as well. They were given away as wedding gifts or made by a young woman to take with her when she married. Quilts were also made for new babies. A friendship quilt was made for people moving westward to remind them of the family and friends they were leaving behind.

Today we are still making those kinds of quilts but we also make smaller quilts created and used solely for decorations as wall hangings, table runners, bags, and garments. All kinds of fabrics and notions are available around the world. There are quilt shops from Australia to Japan, the United States to Malaysia. Visit QuiltingHub.com to find one near you.

Grandmother might be surprised to find she could go to her public library and find hundreds of books on quilt making ranging from simple patchwork to more complex patterns and techniques. For example, Point, click, quilt: turn your photos into fabulous fabric art by Susan Brubaker Knapp introduces a modern technique while Vintage quilt revival: 22 modern designs from classic blocks by Katie Clark Blakesley, might inspire her to use familiar patterns to create a new keepsake.

Check out a small sample of quilting books and quilts on the main floor, near the elevator, for inspiration. For even more books on quilting, be sure to visit the Art & Music Room on the second floor.

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