For the past 14 months, Quiltfolk has been working diligently (and quietly) on our second-ever hardcover book. But unlike our first book project — Quiltfolk Life: Volume One, which was created entirely from our own archives — we are thrilled to share our involvement in publishing the second edition of a classic quilt book.
Unconventional & Unexpected: American Quilts Below the Radar, 1950-2000, by Roderick Kiracofe, was first published in 2014. When the book arrived, scores of quilters both traditional and modern felt a renewed sense of excitement about making quilts since the “unconventional” examples on the pages of the book were imbued with such creativity and energy. It broke open a new way of thinking about quilts and truly changed the conversation. Quiltmakers all over the world have a copy (though it has been out of print for a few years, with used versions often selling for hundreds of dollars online).
There are many great quilting books out there. And then there are those timeless books that find their way onto the shelves of most quilters. Books like Old Patchwork Quilts and The Women Who Made Them by Ruth Finley, The Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns by Barbara Brackman, and the Quilter’s Complete Guide by Marianne Fons & Liz Porter, among others.
We believe that Unconventional & Unexpected is one such classic. The book’s unforgettable quilts, many made by unidentified quilters across the American South, dazzle the eye; essays by leading curators and quilt industry personalities (Kaffe Fassett, Denyse Schmidt) offer insights in every chapter.
It is an objectively beautiful book, inside and out. The high-quality paper, the oversized format, the brilliant colors of the quilts — it’s truly the kind of book you keep on the coffee table because it’s a shame to stow it away on a shelf.
