
American Quilts: The Democratic Art, 1780–2007
Robert Shaw
2009
Quilt History & BiographyRobert Shaw's sweeping survey of American quilt history from the Colonial era through the early 2000s, tracing regional styles and quiltmaking's role as accessible, democratic art.
Shop on AmazonAs an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We may also earn a commission from other links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
Why Teresa recommends it
“This is the one to reach for when you want the full sweep — colonial whole-cloth quilts all the way through the twentieth century, region by region, in one volume. Robert Shaw makes the case that quilting was always democratic art: you didn't need training or money, just fabric, thread, and time. If Kiracofe's book is the close-up, this is the wide shot.”
— Teresa Drummond, NiftyFifty founder
More books like this

Quilting Through Life: Patterns and Prose for Every Stage of Life
Jenny Doan
Missouri Star Quilt Co. founder Jenny Doan pairs quilt patterns with reflective essays on family, faith, and community across different seasons of life.
See details
Kaffe Fassett: Dreaming in Colour — An Autobiography
Kaffe Fassett
Kaffe Fassett's own account of his path from painter to knitwear designer to the textile world's most recognizable colorist.
See details
Clues in the Calico: A Guide to Identifying and Dating Antique Quilts
Barbara Brackman
Barbara Brackman's reference guide for dating and identifying antique quilts by fabric print, pattern style, and construction technique.
See details
The American Quilt: A History of Cloth and Comfort 1750–1950
Roderick Kiracofe & Mary Elizabeth Johnson
A two-hundred-year visual history of American quiltmaking, tracing how quilts reflected the lives, resources, and communities of the women who made them.
See details