A patchwork as rich with history as any well-worn quilt, this now-classic anthology collects the stories so many quilts tell--tales of making do and creating beauty out of scraps, stories of starting anew and passing down a legacy stitched with the lore of ages. Bringing together anecdotes, essays, and memoirs about quilts, quilting, and quilt history, the book has something for everyone who ever pieced a quilt together or admired a quilters handiwork. Ranging from the amusing to the poignant to the enlightening, the selections include historical meditations from quilting authority Merikay Waldvogel and best-selling author Sandra Dallas; hilarious pieces on quilting obsessions from humorists Ami Simms and Lisa Boyer; and a charming essay about passing on quilting knowledge from Quilters Newsletter columnist Helen Kelley. Illustrated with a glorious collection of quilting photographs and paintings, vintage advertising and pattern booklets, this book is the quintessential quilters companion.