Black Threads

One million African Americans spend approximately $118 million annually on quilting. Some believe that recent studies of oral histories telling of the role quilting played in the Underground Railroad have inspired African Americans to take up their fabric and needles, but whatever the reason, quilters like Faith Ringgold, Clementine Hunter, Winnie McQueen, and many others are keeping the African American traditions of quilting alive. This is the first comprehensive guide to African American quilt history and contemporary practices. It offers more than 1,700 bibliographic references, many of them annotated, covering exhibit catalogs, books, newspapers, magazines, dissertations, films, novels, poetry, speeches, works of art, advertisements, patterns, greeting cards, auction results, ephemeral items, and online resources on African American quilting. The book also includes primary research done by the author on the Internet usage of African American quilters, a listing of over 100 museums with African American–made quilts in their permanent collections, a directory of African American quilting groups in 29 states, and a detailed timeline that covers 200 years of African American quilting and needle arts events.

Kyra E. Hicks is a marketing professional and quilter whose quilts have appeared in more than thirty group exhibitions such as the American Craft Museum in New York, the Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C., and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum in Hartford. She lives in Arlington, Virginia.

Kyra E. Hicks
Foreword by Cuesta R. Benberry
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 260
Bibliographic Info: 45 photos, tables, appendix, index
Copyright Date: 2016 [2003]
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6710-2
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments     ix
Foreword     1
Introduction     3

1 One Million African American Quilters—Industry Overview     7
2 Bibliography and Resources     15
3 Museums and Galleries with African American Quilts     143
4 African American Quilters and Internet Usage     165
5 African American Quilters and Fabric Purchasing     183
6 African American Quilting and NeedleArts Timeline     207
7 Future Developments in African American Quilting     227

Appendix     233
Index     235

“extraordinary…an impressive annotated bibliography…recommended”—Choice; “the first comprehensive guide to Afro-American quilt history and modern practice…a unique and invaluable guide”—Midwest Book Review; “a most comprehensive and fascinating overview…a wealth of valuable information”—Quilt Connection; “comprehensive…an amazing reference book”—The Professional Quilter; “comprehensive”—Patchwork & Quilting.