Sunday, December 6, 2015

Review - Tributes and Treasures



Tributes and Treasures
12 Vintage-Inspired Quilts Made with Reproduction Prints
by Paula Barnes and Mary Ellen Robison
Publisher: The Patchwork Place (an imprint of Martingale)
Pub. Date: October 6, 2015
Retail: $26.99
ISBN: 978-1604685671
Pages: 96
Buy Link: Amazon



Book Description: 

Perfect for showcasing reproduction fabrics, each nostalgic design in this charming collection is inspired by quilts from the 1800s. Be inspired by top-selling traditional patterns from Red Crinoline Quilts.
  • Bask in the beauty of 12 bed-sized quilt patterns reminiscent of nineteenth-century designs
  • Enjoy the stories--fascinating tales of yesteryear bring each quilt to life
  • Follow detailed project instructions and successfully create the quilts you love

About the Authors:

Paula Barnes and Mary Ellen Robison met more than 15 years ago when they both moved to the same street in Katy, Texas. Paula taught quilting classes at the local quilt shop and Mary Ellen was the devoted student. They quickly formed a friendship that went beyond their love of quilting and reproduction fabric to become Red Crinoline Quilts.

Paula began quilting in 1989 after moving to Dallas, Texas. Not knowing anyone, she decided to take her six-month old daughter to the Dallas Quilt Show. Three days later, she was hooked. After discovering that hand piecing wasn't her thing, Paula visited a notions counter and purchased the tools she would need to cut out and piece her quilt tops. Once she completed her fourth top, she was asked to teach a class at a local quilt store. Her husband encouraged her to give it a shot and the rest, as they say, is history. Paula taught in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for more than 25 years, and now teaches at shops and quilt guilds throughout the US.

Paula Barnes and Mary Ellen Robison met more than 15 years ago when they both moved to the same street in Katy, Texas. Paula taught quilting classes at the local quilt shop and Mary Ellen was the devoted student. They quickly formed a friendship that went beyond their love of quilting and reproduction fabric to become Red Crinoline Quilts.

Learning from her mom's expertise, Mary Ellen began sewing at the age of 12 and made most of her own clothes as she grew up. The year 1975 saw a resurgence in quilting due to the upcoming Bicentennial Celebration, so Mary Ellen made her first quilt, a baby quilt that defied almost all of the rules of quiltmaking. Fortunately, shortly after that initial attempt, Mary Ellen took her first quilt class and the spell was cast. Being a wife, mother of three, full-time school librarian, and seamstress for her three children took most of her time, but her love of quilting and fabric was always present. Relocating to Texas, meeting Paula, and discovering reproduction fabrics reignited Mary Ellen's enduring passion for quilts.


Billy's Thoughts:

There's a good chance that everyone has at least one quilter, seamstress or crafter in their family, and buying a present for them might not be the easiest thing to do. Yes, you can buy them fabrics, but most quilters are pretty picky about the quality of the materials they quilt with, so there's a good chance that you might pick out the wrong ones. Trust me on this, my mother is a quilter, so I know what I'm talking about. Your best bet is buying them a quilt pattern or book, but don’t just purchase the first thing you see. If you can, go through their stash of books and patterns (Yes, most quilters have a stash!) and see what quilt styles interests them. Plus, write down all the book titles, so you don't buy something they already own. 

I'm recommending the recently released Tributes and Treasures: 12 Vintage-Inspired Quilts Made with Reproduction Prints by Paula Barnes and Mary Ellen Robison of Red Crinoline Quilts. Reproduction fabrics and patterns are the in-thing for quilters these days, with many being inspired by the quilts that were made during the Civil War era. 

The 12 quilt patterns featured in this book are:

Tavern Blues
Hill Country Baskets
Civil War Generals
Cabin Creek
Plantation Road
Kennesaw Mountain
Lancaster
Antique Star
Wheatland
Crossroads
Sallie's Quilt
Oak Alley


Each quilt pattern is acompanied by colorful illustrations and photos. Also included before each pattern is a bit of history about the inspiration behind each quilt. Tavern Blues is inspired by Mary Surratt, who was the first woman to be executed by the United States Government in 1865. Hill Country Baskets is inspired by Baron Otto von Meusebach, a German immigrant that settled in Texas during the Fisher-Miller Land Grant. Civil War General is inspired by Galena, Illinois, which was the home of nine generals. Cabin Creek is inispired by the two Civil War battles that took place at Cherokee Nation (Big Cabin, Oklahoma). Plantation Road is inspired by the Hermitage Plantation during the 1800s. Kennesaw Mountain is inspired by 'the Great Locomotive Chase" in 1862. Lancaster is inspired by the early religious settlements (Quakers) in Pennsylvania. Antique Star is insipired by the most famous Civil War family, the "Fighting McCooks" of Carrollton, Ohio. Wheatland is inspired by James Buchanan House in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Crossroads is inspired by the 1958 non-fiction book, The Civl War: A Narrative, written by Shelby Foote. Sallie's Quilt is inspired by the Staffordshire bull terrier, Sallie, that belonged to Lieutenant William Terry. Oak Alley is inspired by the historic Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie, Louisiana.

Overall, Tributes and Treasures: 12 Vintage-Inspired Quilts Made with Reproduction Prints is a wonderfully compiled book with beautiful quilt patterns that will appeal to any quilter or historical buff.




*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.


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