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Quilty Pleasures Blog reviewed Unconventional & Unexpected. I was humbled by Diane Harris' kind words.
“I especially love the idea that these were quilts “below the radar.” That’s how I hope my quilts will be viewed some day. They aren’t going to win any prizes, but hopefully they’ll win somebody’s heart.”
Read the review on Quilty Pleasures blog here.
String quilt from Unconventional & Unexpected by Roderick Kiracofe
The Associated Press via the Union-Tribune San Diego has included Unconventional & Unexpected among an astounding list of books to "spark you or your child's creativity" -- craft and art that everyone can enjoy this new year.
Unconventional & Unexpected has great company among Merrilee Liddiaro's Playful: Fun Projects to make with + for Kids (also published by Abrams), Merrilee Liddiaro's Quilting with a Modern Slant, and The Plant Recipe Book by Baylor Chapman.
See the full list of craft suggestions here.
Unconventional & Unexpected received a beautiful review in Hali:
“Collected by renowned quilt authority and collector Roderick Kiracofe via eBay, flea markets, estate sales and other sources, they represent a 20th-century quilt movement that remains mostly undocumented.”
Unconventional & Unexpected is a rebuttal to the notion that creativity in traditional quilting died after World War II.
Monica Moses wrote a beautiful review of Unconventional & Unexpected in a recent edition of American Craft. I'm touched at how she has connected to the book. Read below for the full review:
“There is something of a consensus, says Roderick Kiracofe in the introduction to this lively book, that the end of traditional quiltmaking happened in the 1940s and that ‘no good quilts were made after that.’ Unconventional & Unexpected is an eye-popping counterargument to that belief. The book features about 150 examples of eccentric and previously undocumented quilts from the author’s collection, most dating from 1950 on. These are not precious quilts; most were made from ordinary scarps and meant to be used every day. And the vast majority are anonymous; Kiracofe, author of the classic American Quilt (2004), happened upon them in his searches across the country. Kiracofe’s charming introduction is not the only context provided in the book. Essays by Elissa Auther, Ulysses Grant Dietz, Denyse Schmidt, and Natalie Chanin, among others, add warmth and insight, as if sharing wisdom around the sewing circle. Wholly appropriate to its subject matter, Unconventional & Unexpected exudes a refreshing authenticity, character, and humility.”
My editor, Melanie Falick, sent the link to Natalie Chanin's (aka Alabama Chanin) Journal post on her thoughts about Unconventional & Unexpected. Thank you for your beautiful words and your essay, "Never Seen a Blanket".
Natalie Chanin writes:
Just as I found myself touched by the worn quilts making their way to my studio and intrigued by their history, Roderick was also moved by the stories, reminiscences, and intimate details he discovered in his research. We both shared an interest in this craft of quilting and the talented artisans who created the quilts.
It was great to chat with someone just as excited about quilts as I am. It's always a pleasure when someone sees these quilts as I do -- as "bridges between the traditional quilts of the past and the new modern quilts, which are coming to the forefront of quilting." There is a recognition of the soulfulness in these quilts. Thank you!
“Did they run out of fabric? Did they want to use up their scraps? Or perhaps they were accepting a personal challenge to create something beautiful out of chaos. In many cases, he is as interested in what they used for the back of their quilts as much as what they used on the front.”
“I had the pleasure of interviewing Roderick for my research for Amish Quilts: Crafting an American Icon about his role as a quilt dealer in the 1980s. Although Kiracofe and Kile did not specialize in Amish quilts, they bought and sold many of them, and convinced corporate buyers of their significance. In fact, the first substantial article I read about the Esprit Amish quilt collection was by Michael Kile, published in the 1983 Quilt Digest. The accompanying images of Esprit’s corporate headquarters filled with Amish quilts helped me build my argument about Esprit’s vital role in the promotion of quilts as art objects.”
Janneken and I at AQSG Seminar 2014, Milwaukee. Image courtesy of janneken.org.
I was so pleased when my friend and colleague Janneken Smucker agreed to write the "quilt history" essay for the book. She is doing an amazing job as part of the next generation of quilt historians. I have always enjoyed following her writing and projects. Be sure to include her newest book, Amish Quilts: Crafting an American Icon, in your quilt library.
Her blog post about Unconventional & Unexpected really captures what I hope people take away from U&U as she concludes: "I hope you join me in looking, reading, and thinking, and then behold these quilts as completely unexpected, yet just what you’ve been looking for."
Read her blog post here.
“This book could really jazz up your coffee table.”
Unconventional & Unexpected was included along with The Roosevelts -- an Intimate History by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns and Away from the White House -- Presidential Escapes, Retreats, and Vacations by Lawrence L. Knutson as books worthy of their weight. I love that U&U is included among these books that are re-thinking history and making historical figures more human.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY RODERICK KIRACOFE
