a new old discovery

When I decided I wanted to make quilts, I regularly checked books out of libraries to study them to try to figure out how. Some books were mostly about technique while others were primarily for inspiration and ideas. At the time I had a corporate job and probably studied these books for about a year. (My husband once commented that I was never going to make a quilt but only read about them.) New Discoveries in American Quilts by Robert Bishop (1975) is an old favorite and one of the books I frequently checked out of the library. This weekend I came across a copy at a book sale and even after all of these years, I still find it interesting and inspirational. Both traditional and innovative quilts are beautifully photographed. There are historical overviews of particular styles of quilts, and biographical information on featured quiltmakers. One was named Susan McCord and it was commented that "She deserves to be considered as important in her field as America's finest folk painters are in theirs."