Common Threads: A World of Quilts

Bys: Hanson, Marin F. and Smucker, Janneken

An exploration of global quiltmaking from its practical functions to its most profound meanings

All over the world, people make quilts. This art form ties individuals, groups, and cultures together in both familiar and unexpected ways. Spanning centuries and continents, Common Threads examines the shared ways humans have approached textile-making and meaning-making through patchwork, appliqu , and quilting. From make-do bedcoverings to elaborate wedding canopies, patchwork talismans to the AIDS Memorial Quilt, this gorgeously illustrated book uncovers how these beautiful and practical objects have similar everyday functions, rich histories, embedded memories, complex symbolism, artistry, and spiritual resonance, creating surprising connections across diverse cultures. With 280 images, many published here for the first time, the book offers new insights into how global quiltmaking practices have provided not just warmth and comfort but also served a range of practical, relational, and expressive purposes.

Chapters explore quilts as:

- Sources of warmth and protection
- Tools for community building
- Instruments of economic and political power
- Vehicles for storytelling and protest
- Compelling works of art
- Conduits for spiritual or religious meaning

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0300286341
• ISBN13: 9780300286342
• Release Date: August 2027
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Length: 304 Pages