Weekend Read

Charles Seaton of Alletown, 1928, Aged 4

Photo Courtesy of Carol Seaton-Zawediuk

It's another grey weekend here in the Lehigh Valley so I am spending some time reading.  My book of preference this weekend is:  A Passion for Quilts, The Story of Florence Peto 1881-1970.  The book is available through The Heritage Quilt Project of New Jersey here.

Florence Peto is my favorite quilt historian.  When I became interested in quilt history, I did what I always do:  raided the local library for books and information.  The Allentown Public Library had a copy of Historic Quilts by Florence Peto and it became my favorite book to read.  I checked it out numerous times and eventually bought my own copy.

I loved this book and eventually picked up her other book (more readily available these days) called American Quilts and Coverlets.

A Passion for Quilts is relays the story of how Peto became a pioneer in quilt history at a time when most books about quilts had a more romantic perspective.  She was a quilter, collector and researcher of antique quilts.  We (the quilting community) owe her an incredible debt for recognizing and promoting the preservation of our craft.

In 1980, Peto was inducted into the Quilters' Hall of Fame (see here).   I highly recommend the book A Passion for Quilts and encourage anyone who has an interest in quilt history to explore her books, research, and quilts.