This wonderful treasury surveys nearly 300 years of quilt history, techniques, patterns, and styles. Originally stimulated by the desire for warmth and the need to economize, quilt-making evolved from an extremely practical enterprise into an elaborate and highly personal art form. From the simple, serviceable quilts of the early colonists to the work of twentieth-century quilters, this beautifully illustrated volume surveys virtually every type of quilt and pattern and details the techniques, tools, fabrics, and dyes. The abundant historical and practical information offers guidelines for establishing the age of antique quilts and provides careful instructions for cleaning and caring for heirloom quilts.