Beloved American writer Louisa May Alcott — who came from a quiltmaking family — once wrote: “Preserve your memories, keep them well, what you forget you can never retell.” 

Memories live in our hearts and our minds, but those of us who love quilts know that memories can also be preserved in tangible ways. Some of these quilt “memories” are partially completed quilts that were started (but never finished) by someone you love. Or perhaps you have a variety of loose quilt blocks or an assortment of nontraditional materials that hold significant emotional value for you. 

Whether you are holding on to timeworn memories or you are in the course of making new ones, you will revel in the recommendations of our October Book of the Month — especially when it comes to making sure the memories held in quilts will endure.  

From our friends at Schiffer Publishing comes award-winning quilter Mary Kerr’s A Quilted Memory: Ideas and Inspiration for Reusing Vintage Textiles — a book that pairs perfectly with Quiltfolk Issue 16: Family. From family heirlooms and photographs to repurposed vintage blocks and clothing, creating a renewed sense of comfort out of cherished materials is a recurring motif in our latest publication, and Mary shares insightful tips for completing these important projects.  

Mary Kerr is a well-known and esteemed member of the national quiltmaking community. A dedicated quiltmaker, historian, teacher, and appraiser, Mary is active in organizations such as Quilts of Valor and the American Quilt Study Group. 

In A Quilted Memory: Ideas and Inspiration for Reusing Vintage Textiles, Mary shares ideas on how family memories can live on in contemporary quilts made from vintage textiles. Repurposing material is the focus here, and through more than 100 images, quilters are encouraged to breathe new life into fabrics — such as feed sacks, doilies, or vintage clothes — that might have otherwise stayed in the trunk or the dresser drawer. Complete with tips for the cleaning and care of textiles and copious design ideas, this is the ideal inspiration book for quilters at any level.