Labors of Love

This comprehensive history of American needlework explores the radiant creativity and legacy of many needlework artists and highlights every aspect of this complex and beautiful heritage. From an elegantly simple linsey-woolsey bedcover to a stunningly decorative evening purse, from the lucid geometric abstraction of a Navajo blanket to the poignancy of an embroidered mourning picture, from a subdued Amish quilt to the dazzling colors of Sioux beadwork--here is the rich, many-faceted heritage of America's textiles and needlework. Contents: ? introduction ? Cloth ? Blankets, counterpanes & bed rugs ? Quilts ? White work ? Coverlets ? Linens in the home ? Early needlework, 1650-1838 ? Berlin work & Victoriana ? Rugs ? Implements of loving labor ? Needlework tools & accessories ? Knitting, crochet, & lace ? Printed handkerchiefs, banners, & flags ? American Indian blankets ? American Indian quiltwork & beadwork ? Other American Indian textiles ? Notes ? Bibliography ? index