Review - Preserving History: Patchwork Patterns Inspired by Antique Quilts

That Patchwork Place; 80 pages; $24.99; Amazon

If you have been in a quilting store or visited an online one, then you have probably seen many different reproduction fabrics.

What are reproduction fabrics?

These fabrics have either been recreated or inspired by a historical quilt or pattern (anywhere from 1775 to 1950).

Now available from That Patchwork Place (an imprint of Martingale) is Preserving History: Patchwork Patterns Inspired by Antique Quilts by Julie Hendricksen, author of Remembering the Past.

The author has put together 15 quilt patterns, all of which have been inspired by older quilts that she has found over the years. She shares photos & patterns of the original quilts (featured as an "Antique Inspiration") as well as the recreated quilts throughout the book.


The quilt patterns are:

Sawtooth Star

(finished size: 691/2" x 811/2")

Capital T

(fnished size: 73¼ " x 86")

1930s Checkboard

(finished size: 891/2" x 891/2")

Fly, Fly Away

(finished size: 781/2" x 931/2")

Triangles in a Row

(finished size: 68 ¾" x 90")

Birthday Quilt
(finished size: 683/8" x 683/8")

Flying Geese
(finished size: 651/2" x 813/4")

Snowball Crossing
(finished size: 721/2" x 721/2")

Indigo Snowballs
(finished size: 731/4" x 857/8")

Reproduction Chain
(finished size: 741/2" x 861/2")

Sewing Baskets
(finished size: 64" x 721/2")

Scrappy X Delight
(finished size: 731/2" x 811/2")

Reproduction Windmills
(finished size: 621/2" x 781/2")

1890s Baskets
(finished size: 631/8" x 733/4")

Sugarloaf
(finished size: 813/4" x 791/4")

Final Thoughts: Whether or not you are a quilter or a history buff, the Preserving History: Patchwork Patterns Inspired by Antique Quilts will appeal to a wide variety of readers and crafters alike. Julie Hendricksen has a done a wonderful job hunting down old quilts and showcasing them for the whole world to see. The patchwork pattern designs she has created based on the antique quilts are beautifully crafted. The instructions for these patterns are easy to follow thanks to the many helpful diagrams and illustrations. 

All the pictures & patterns are very colorful. While some of the designs look simple, they are made with many tiny pieces, so the are no quick quilt projects here.

Overall, Preserving History: Patchwork Patterns Inspired by Antique Quilts is a nicely designed antique quilt book. With Christmas just around the corner, the book would make a great present for any quilter.

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

About the Author: Julie Hendricksen has been collecting antique quilts for more than 30 years. Scrap quilts from the turn of the nineteenth century are her favorites. As Julie professes, the more fabrics in each quilt, the more interesting they become! Visitors to Julie's quilt shop, JJ Stitches in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, will often find both a reproduction quilt and the antique quilt that inspired it on display together. Julie's collection of antique quilts is the inspiration for the fabric lines she's designed for Windham Fabrics, and it's no surprise that her shop specializes in reproduction fabrics.