Book Review: StrataVarious Quilts
Friday, April 10th, 2009
Barbara Persing and Mary Hoover
C&T Publishing; 21.95
Longarm quilter Barbara Persing and her sister Mary Hoover, a shop owner, found that making strata (panels of various width fabric strips sewn together in a random manner) was the solution to designing with the large collection of fabric they wanted to use. The unique blended strata they create are then cut into squares and half-square triangles and reassembled into a dynamic quilt. The book includes directions for nine quilts, three of which incorporate appliqué. It’s a fun addition to your tecnhnique toolbox.
Fans of Nancy Crow will want to devour this showcase of her recent work created during 2003-2007. The collection of 25 improvisational quilts represents work from three distinct series of quilts and marks a turning point in her work. Constructions began in 1995 and features quilts that are improvised with strong architectural elements. The series now numbers 90 quilts. Markings explores calligraphic mark making applied to quiltmaking. This series grows into Structures, which features silk-screened wholecloth work with little or no piecing. The works in this catalog debuted in a solo exhibit at The Snyderman Gallery in Philadelphia in the fall of 2007, and David Hornung, painter, former quiltmaker and chairman of the department of art and art history at Adelphi University, wrote the forward. The quilts are complimented by copies of Nancy’s sketchbooks and photos of work in progress. Here’s a