Curl up with a book

Or four. It's a rainy night following a lot of lightening--perfect for reading. Hard to believe this is "winter." The weather today in this neck of Illinois broke records: According to our thermometer at the house, we hit 64 degrees.....in January!!! The kids were out riding bikes and drawing hopscotch games on the driveway after school today wearing only jackets. It's a great night to kick back and do some quilty reading and listen to the thunder.


So, I have four books on my nightstand that I am enjoying very much. First up is "Butternut & Blue: Threads of the Civil War" by Barbara Brackman and Karla Menaugh (Sunflower Pattern Cooperative, 2003). Great reproduction quilts and historical stories and notes on fabric, dyes, and garb during this period of history. The stories provide some great background on the authors' inspirations for the quilts.




Next is "Prairie Children and Their Quilts" by Kathleen Tracy (published by That Patchwork Place, 2006). A wonderful overview of children's experiences in the 19th century on the prairie and the American frontier as settlers heading west. With excerpts from actual diaries and some great photos, the book really tells some amazing stories to accompany projects for small quilts that evoke the era.

Then there's "Borderland in Butternut and Blue: A Sampler Quilt to Recall the Civil War along the Kansas and Missouri Border," another volume by Barbara Brackman (Kansas City Star Books, 2007). I am fascinated with this book since it is a chapter in Civil War history that I knew virtually nothing about. It has offered me a glimpse into the culture and politics that shaped a volatile time and place in history. The patterns are spectacular and the book is sprinkled with great photos and stories.



Lastly (but not leastly) there is "The Civil War Love Letter Quilt" by Rosemary Youngs (Krause Publications, 2007). I just got this one today (thank you JoAnn Fabrics and your 40% off coupons--nothing better than indulging in a treat for oneself with reduced guilt!). Haven't read much, but I can already tell this book will be a perennial favorite along with the earlier book by this author called "The Civil War Diary Quilt" (2005). I simply love the written expression of such honest human emotion. The letters I've read so far are eloquent and touching--can't imagine a better way to learn some history.

Maybe I should have studied history--I have a huge affinity for the 19th century in America and could read endlessly about the Civil War and what daily life in general was like in that century. (Can someone tell me why on earth I got my degrees in chemistry??)

Big thanks to Susan for so generously sharing her library with me! I'll loan you "The Civil War Love Letter Quilt" as soon as I'm done!