Why We Quilt by Thomas Knauer

WHY WE QUILT by Thomas Knauer is a beautiful book which I ordered earlier this year to share with our Art teachers, one of whom has an annual project involving quilts, form, and color. The history and expression behind quilts is amazing – there are so many individual stories to tell and variations of artistic expression.  Knauer focuses on “Contemporary Makers [who] Speak Out about the Power of Art, Activism, Community, and Creativity.”  Knauer showcases numerous artists and divides them into chapters that explore reasons for quilting like “to connect with a rich tradition” or “to move beyond modern consumer culture” or to “change the world,” highlighting quilts that are “still materially comfortable, but … emotionally fraught.”

This is indeed a rich subject and resources about quilts and quilt-making abound.  For local readers of this blog, be sure to investigate the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Fine Art of Fiber, an annual quilt show. Booklist called WHY WE QUILT a “beautiful celebration” of quilting while also being a “reflection of the overwhelming whiteness of that community.” I would encourage readers to investigate further, perhaps reading “The Radical Quilting of Rosie Lee Tompkins,” a review filled with vivid pictures, that appeared in this week’s New York Times. If you have more ideas to share, please let me know. As Knauer writes, “whatever the reason we are initially drawn to the practice, quilting seems to satisfy something deep inside, to touch us, and to allow us, through our quilts, to share with the people in our lives.”