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This book is out of print but copies may be available from used booksellers such as Amazon, alibris.com or abebooks.com.

Quilts: A Living Tradition

From Library Journal  
Shaw, curator of the Shelburne Museum from 1981 to 1994, is a recognized authority on American folk art. This volume, his first devoted entirely to the quilting tradition, stands out amid a plethora of books on the history of the quilt, not only for the richness of its carefully chosen illustrations but also for the wealth of information it conveys. A good companion volume to Patsy and Myron Orlofsky's Quilts in America (LJ 3/1/75; Abbeville, 1992. rev. ed.), which emphasized the early years of American quiltmaking, Shaw's book covers some of the same ground. But Shaw also examines contemporary quiltmaking since 1970; Amish, African American, Hawaiian, and Native American quiltmaking traditions; the modern art quilt; and innovative work done by Japanese quiltmakers who are adding quilting to their own rich textile tradition. Cameo portraits of premier quiltmakers add personal interest to the narrative. Among scores of full-color illustrations are many quilts from private collections published here for the first time. Highly recommended.

-Janice Zlendich, California State Univ. Lib., Fullerton

From April Austin - The Christian Science Monitor  
Nothing compares with a handmade quilt. The feel of it, the tiny stitches marching in orderly rows, the warm weight of it draped over the foot of a bed. Now a book captures all the imagination and skill of this textile art. [It] was written by Robert Shaw, former curator of the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vt., noted for its American folk-art collection and scholarship. While the book's written portions reflect Shaw's authority on the subject, readers will be drawn to the photographs of these spectacular quilts. Truly a beautifully produced book.