As a quilter myself I’m always looking for inspiration for quilt ideas. I like the variety of quilts presented. Lovely illustrations. Although there is lot of history included in this book I mostly enjoyed it for the quilts shown.

Mary W Kerr has produced for us a genuine feast for the eyes. Her beautiful book is lavishly illustrated and as a Brit, I particularly interested in how British Quilting tradition influenced that of the deep South in America.

As a quilter myself, I found myself not being able to put this book down and when I sadly reached the end, I had to start all over again to indulge myself, picking out patterns that I wanted to try to reproduce myself.

The rich variety of quilts on display and the detailed text should appeal to any quilter and indeed this will be a book that I will pick up time and time again, both as a reference source but also to indulge and loose myself in this wonderful book.

My thanks to Net Galley and Gazelle Book Services for the chance to review this delightful book

A beautiful and well researched book on the beauty that are Southern quilts. History and quilts go hand-in-hand and what a wonderful way to learn.

A beautiful book rich in the history of Southern quilts. I loved reading about past patterns, materials, and seeing example quilts that should belong in a museum. Only the addition of real Southern patterns that quilt makers today could use would have made the book even better!

As a crafter I loved this book. The images were stunning and beautifully described. One to keep on the coffee table and flick through with hot chocolate on a rainy day,

This book is a very comprehensive history of Southern quilts, with many examples of old quilt collection and background stories and development of the different styles.
Great book if you are into the history of quilts or are looking at reproducing the look

“The quilts compiled here offer a sampling of the rich variety and vitality of Southern patchwork. The patterns and colors reflect the influence of multiple cultural traditions brought into the region through nearly four centuries. Each quilt is the result of the choices made from among the styles, patterns, and fabrics available to the maker.”

The earliest of quilts like some in this book were based on those from the British Isles, simple, geometric patterns. As the areas began to be settled by the English, German and others, new styles developed. Southern-grown cotton was sent to the New England textile mills, and returned to the southern general stores as fabric stocked upon the shelves. New colours, new patterns begat new designs in quilts.

I wanted to read this as my grandmother made quilts, I have the wedding quilt she made for my parents, and a handful of quilt blocks she made, but never turned into an actual quilt. My Aunt arrived at my grandparents house upon learning of my grandmother’s passing and took all the quilts that she had in the house, so what little I have is cherished.

I love quilts; my favourite pattern isn’t even really a pattern, but a crazy quilt. I have one crazy quilt made a long time ago but which was never finished, and I’m almost afraid to touch it. I admire those who have the patience and talent to make some of the incredibly artistic ones I’ve seen. I’ve taken classes from quilters, had many good friends who were amazing quilters, but for me a quilt is all about the history, the mystery behind who made it, why they chose the fabric they did – the story behind it all. And while my grandmother taught me how to make bread, and lots of other things, she never taught me how to quilt.

This includes sixteen chapters each with a different topic, and various authors. I was interested in all of these, but some more than others. Like my goodreads friend Nancy, I was particularly interested in learning about the Shenandoah Valley Quilts, since my grandmother’s Scots-Irish family had lived in that area when the area was first settled. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked through this book, read parts of it over and over.

It’s a beautiful book to look through, but it also has some historical background on the quilts displayed, which I found fascinating.

”In a 2017 exhibition at the St. Louis Museum of Art, Textiles: Politics and Patriotism, curator Zoe A. Perkins claims the rise of quilting in the nineteenth century gave women, ‘who did not yet possess the right to vote, a tactile way to express their political views.’”

My thanks to Nancy whose review led me to this beautifully illustrated book on quilts. Please check out her review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


Pub Date: 28 APR 2018


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Schiffer Publishing Ltd.

Finding a well laid out reference to historical quilts is difficult, let alone finding one with background information on the events of the area so it was a nice surprise to be allowed to review Southern Quilts by Mary W. Kerr. The book is overloaded with images, some being up-close pictures detailing of blocks and included are minute details about the age and creator of the featured quilt, if known. There are some patterns that speak to me, such as Cotton Boil circa 1850 - 1920 post Civil War era and Farmer's Fancy dating back to 1846 with a wonderful barn quilt example from West Virginia. The beauty created from scraps and flour sacks is amazing.
Full Disclosure: I was allowed to read a copy of this book for free as a member of NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not influenced to give a positive review.

This is a look at quilting traditions in the south. It is full of historic quilts, why they are significant, and how the pattern plays up the south. I have always wanted to make a pine burr quilt. I’ve seen them and it’s the one pattern I have never tried. There is just something about mixing origami that I am just not sure I can do. A great book for any quilters collection, but remember, it’s a history book, not a pattern book.

This lovely book looks at quilt made in the Southern United States. More than just a book of pretty pictures, it' organized by specific patterns. Each chapter is devoted to quilts using a specific block or group of similar blocks. The chapters are introduced by text giving the background of these quilts and who made them. Almost all of these are written by southern women. They are authoritative and include bibliographies.

The pictures are lovely with detailed captions that give the quilt's background.

It's so much more than just a book of historic quilts,.

At first, I thought this book was about how to make Southern quilts, and it turned out to be a catalogue of beautiful quilts made from Southerners from the past. This beautiful book would make a fantastic reference for anyone studying quilts or anyone interested in the history of quilts. It was a fascinating and beautiful read.

This a wonderfully curated collection of Southern quilts. This was clearly put together by quilting historians with a passion and deep knowledge for their subject. The colours, patterns and stories attached to these quilts made this an inspirational and engaging read - you can't help but want to take in the minutest detail. As a hand quilter, I found the images of the quilts made from scraps and potato sacks fascinating.

I would recommend this to all quilters and crafters for the sheer history of these quilts and the beautiful images included.

A beautiful compilation of a variety of quilt patterns. Nice to see the variety even within the same block pattern. A bit of history starts each new section, and then the gorgeous quilts. Would be a great book to look through and just admire. No patterns available, but still a very enjoyable book. Would highly recommend. One of my favorites was the Crossed Coxcomb variation. Interesting.

Southern Quilts presents a good overview of quilts of the South both in text and photographs. Each chapter is devoted to a different type of quilt block and style. I found Southern Quilts to be interesting and informative.

Southern Quilts is beautiful, well written and well researched. As a quilter myself, I loved the use of fabric - the different color blends that I had not thought of for my quilts. I also loved the appliqued quilts! They were beautiful.

The history in this book was so interesting. It would be a great reference book for both southerners and us northerners!

Thank you to NetGalley and Schiffer Publishing Ltd. for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I can come up with clothing designs. I can draft patterns. I can sew at the couture level. I can embroider. I can bead. I can even applique. What I can’t do, or can’t do yet, is quilt. For someone as experienced in the sewing arts as I am in you would think quilting would be an easy thing to master, and yet something has held me back from trying. For that reason, when I was asked to review Southern Quilts: Celebrating Traditions, History, and Designs by Mary W. Kerr I jumped at the opportunity to explore ‘all things quilting’.

Let me begin by saying Southern Quilts is a visually arresting book. Most of the pictured quilts are at least 150 years old but if you did not know their date of origin might assume the covers to have been made yesterday. If a picture conveys the maker’s pride in her craft imagine how much more beautiful the quilts shown in this book would be when viewed in person. I doubt these women ever thought their quilts would become coveted pieces of art and yet quilts that have survived since the 1850’s are prized in private and museum collections throughout the world.

In Southern Quilts Ms. Kerr writes in an easy style that never feels too pedantic. Reading this book is a bit like sharing afternoon tea on a sunny veranda while swapping crafting tales with a treasured friend. Her knowledge of quilts in general, and 1840-1940 southern quilting in particular, makes for fascinating reading. Each chapter in the book is devoted to one of fourteen southern quilt patterns, providing details on pattern origination and meaning, seamstress skill level, fabric choices, stitch choices, maker background, and even the quilt’s own unique story up until present time.

Until I read Southern Quilts I never knew:

- The Golden Age of Quilt Making spanned the 1840’s through the turn of the 20th century
- Quilt patterns can be traced to regions, nationalities, and even individual point of origin
- All quilt patterns have names and some of the coolest-named southern patterns include: Alabama Signature, Petals, Pine Burr, Cotton Boil, Crown of Thorns (or Rocky Mountain), Farmer’s Fancy, Rattlesnake, Carolina Lily, and Whig’s Defeat

I wholeheartedly endorse Southern Quilts and recommend it for anyone with an interest in quilting. The book would make a great addition to any quilter’s library, as well as serve as a source of endless inspiration for artists of all types (and not just quilters).

Southern Quilts by Mary W. Kerr includes articles by thirteen quilt historians, profusely illustrated with 270 color photographs, demonstrating the rich heritage of quilting across the South.

The heritage of quilts were influenced by Scots-Irish and German settlers as well as by African American traditions, and demonstrate regionally popular quilt patterns, a preference for complicated quilt block incorporating tiny pieces, and specific color palettes.

The Forward by Laurel Horton discusses Southern Roots, Southern Patterns, and the roots of Southern quilting from the British Isles, later impacted by waves of immigrants who migrated south from Pennsylvania.

Southern cotton was milled in New England, the plentiful American-made fabrics leading to the Golden Age of American quilt making during the mid-1800sand into the twentieth century. The development of new dyes and colors and quit block patterns, and inexpensive fabrics, led to the creation of suburb examples, while utility quilts included scrap sewing, the use of feed sacks, large quilt stitching, and heavy cotton batting.

Chapters include:
Making Do- a Southern Tradition by Mary W. Kerr
Alabama Pine Burr by Mary Elizabeth Johnson
Alamance Applique by Kathlyn Sullivan
Circles and Spikes by Teddy Pruett
Cotton Boll by Kathlyn Sullivan
Crown of Thorns by Merikay Waldvogel
Double Wedding Ring by Sherry Burkhalter
Farmer's Fancy by Bunnie Jordan
The Impact of the Feedsack on Southern Quilts by Sarah Bliss Wright
Pieced Pine But by Mary W. Kerr
Rattlesnake Quilts by Marcia Kaylakie
Seven Sisters by Sandra Starley
Southern Florals by Lisa Erlandson
Tricolor Quilts: How the Germans of Pennsylvania Influenced a Color Palette and Style in the South by Lynn Lancaster Gorges
Whig's Defeat by Gaye Rick Ingram
I was particularly interested learning about Shenandoah Valley quilts since my paternal line includes the earliest settlers. The pattern known as Farmer's Fancy was particularly popular in that area.

Farmer's Fancy quilt circa 1880, from the collection of Taryn Faulkner, Pinterest image
Farmer's Fancy is a circular pattern, with an inner design similar to a sunburst or compass block, surrounded by several rings of triangles. Jordan notes the earliest documented Farmer's Fancy block dates to 1846. The pattern was later called Pyrotechnics in the 1930s.

This quilt is often found in red and cheddar yellow, and sometimes with a background of blue, cheddar, or green. In another chapter, Lynn Lancaster Georges discusses the Pennsylvania German impact on the Southern color palette. As seen in Pennsylvania Dutch Fraktur art and earthenware pottery, they tended toward teal blue, orange, and oxblood. Zig-zag borders are often found on the Shenandoah Valley quilts.

The West Virginia State Documentation Project found this pattern throughout the Shenandoah Valley and neighboring areas first settled by German Mennonites and Scots-Irish. My Gochenour family were German speaking Swiss Brethren, a branch of the Anabaptist faith which includes the Mennonites and Amish. (My ancestors became Baptist after a few generations.)

I may be daydreaming, but I would love to make my own version of Farmer's Fancy!

Southern Quilts will appeal to those interested in quilt history and to quilters who enjoy making Reproduction quilts.

I received a free e-book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Rich in the tradition of the old South in which my grandmother and mother grew up, Southern Quilts is a beautiful treasure trove of hundreds of stunning quilts - all vividly brought to life in pictures and by the inclusion of many of the South's quilting traditions and the history accompanying them. This is not a "how-to" book on quilting, but rather a book to be enjoyed and shared with others interested in vintage quilts and the history of their journey over time. I especially liked the in-depth look at the materials used as Southern women learned to not only make-do, but turn out beautiful quilts from the materials available to them. The patterns, colors, and quilting designs are unique and reminiscent of the time period . . . truly classic pieces of art and history. Quilts that began as a way to keep family members warm at night evolved into beautiful works of art deserving of being showcased and handed down from generation to generation. Years ago, most girls learned to quilt as a child as did I. I was blessed with the opportunity to perfect my skills at the hands of my aunt who was an award winning, master quilter in our area. I have never equaled her level of work, but pride myself on the quilts I have made just the same. Quilting is truly a work of love as is, I suspect, this beautiful book of quilts. A Must Read for both experienced and want-to-be quilters!

What a truly gorgeous book--Southern Quilts, by Mary W. Kerr, is filled with 270 color photos and page after page of insights into the South's quilting heritage. I especially loved learning about the "make-do" traditions of Southern quilters; I remember my grandmother's use of feed sacks and fabric scraps, and how she sewed them into warm, functional quilts that kept her family warm--long before she had the luxury of quilting for decoration and beauty. Highly recommended.

Growing up with a bunch and being a hillbilly myself I have seen some tons of homemade quilts and have some at my house now. My Grandmothers Aunts and Mom have all quilted my entire life. I have even made a few.

I have seen some really beautiful quilts that tell stories as well as some that are just plain block quilts to keep you warm at night. I have seen quilts made out of old clothing, Lord knows my Grandmothers had stacks of what I call rag bags and they called them their quilt pieces. My Grandmothers are both gone now but looking through this book brought back a lot of my childhood.

This book is filled with pictures and a short backstory of quilt designs that became popular mostly in the late 1800's and early 1900's. The picture are stunning and I would love to have so all of the quilts in my house.

The book gives the name to each design and also pictures of the variations of the design. If you love quilts or just think they are pretty you will love this book. If you want to learn how to make a specific quilt you will now have a name of the design in order to search for patterns. If you are thinking of adding a southern theme to a bedroom this book could also help you decide on a quilt to go with the room.

Mary Kerr has one a fabulous job with this book. It would make an excellent addition to any crafters collection.



I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com to read and review.