Here is the largest and most comprehensive history of American quilts and quilting ever published - 21 million practising quilters live and quilt in the USA, and this book covers the whole, diverse history of quilts and quilting, from early colonial days, through Native American Indians, Hawaiian, Hmong, Amish, African American, all have left distinctive imprints, patterns, and history, celebrating cultural identity, and how they connect quilters through quilting bees and other community groups. Noted quilt historian Elise Schebler Roberts also goes beyond the historical nature of quilts to cover current efforts at quilt preservation, collecting and appraising, documentation projects. Gloriously illustrated with more than 200 full-colour photographs of classic collectible quilts, this also contains an encyclopaedia of favourite quilt styles, and is a must-have book for any quilter.