Lone Stars III: A Legacy of Texas Quilts, 1986-2011

Lone Stars III: A Legacy of Texas Quilts 1986-2011
by Karoline Patterson Bresenhan and Nancu O’Bryant Puentes
Gifted by University of Texas Press
978-0-292-72699-4
Reviewed by Kathryn Wright, Editor of FaveQuilts.com

Not all quilting books are meant to show you how to quilt; there are also those special reads like Lone Stars III: A Legacy of Texas Quilts which offers an impressive and extensive look into the quilting culture and how it grows and changes with time. This book brings together hundreds of quilts that were designed by Texas’s own from all different walks of life and for many different purposes. Though you won’t have a pattern in your hands, you will have a beautiful story and visual that may inspire you to start quilting in a new way.


Quilting has such a long history, and what makes Lone Stars III so unique is how it includes this history before introducing any actual quilts. By putting into perspective the cultural, social, and political changes that have occurred not only within Texas, but throughout the entire nation, the book begins to introduce to readers some of the reasons behind the one-of-a-kind quilts that are included. Quilters responded to tragedy and change in the best way they knew how; by quilting.


Many quilting guides only include a select number of projects to demonstrate, and others focus specifically on one form of quilting. The most exciting part of this book is that there are no limits; there are 200 quilts featured in this book, and while patterns aren’t included, each one lists the techniques and style used,  as well as the personal stories behind them. See how quilters have chosen to express themselves in their greatest moments of life, happy or sad, using their designs. Not only will you gain insight into how quilters for generations have reflected life through their quilts, but you'll also see ways that may inspire you to do the same yourself.