Book Review: Quilts In The Attic
June 23rd, 2013 by Morna
Quilts in the Attic: Uncovering the Hidden Stories of the Quilts We Love
Karen Musgrave
Voyageur Press; $24.00
Are you ever interested in “the rest of the story” when it comes to the quilts you
see? So much is unknown about the quilts we see and that’s what Karen Musgrave set
out to remedy with Quilts in the Attic. She has explored the background and personal
history of 30 quilts and their makers in a period that spans more than 200 years.
The stories are fascinating. I started with the first one, “Nettie’s Beauty.” Karen
captured me in the first sentence: “Nettie Miller Sours was found dead in her bed
with her hands neatly crossed on her chest – a true Virginia mountain woman to the
end.” I went on to learn about how the quilt was won at auction and then about the
personal life of Nettie. I enjoyed learning more about Ruby Short McKim in “Legacy
Reclaimed,” especially since one of my first quilt book purchases in 1977 was One
Hundred and One Patchwork Patterns. I was fascinated to learn about the gift in
2010 of “Night Flight” by Andrea Scadden to Bill Volckening, Oregon Quilt Project
coordinator, who just volunteered that he loved free quilts. This quilt had been
in Quilt National in 1983 and now its maker is a Buddhist living in the Himalayas.
Just pick the book up, read any chapter and you’ll find a treasure.
Look for the book at your favorite book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.
