When quiltmaker Beth Gutcheon said "American women have long had hearts and minds, but only a few had voices," she recognized the dilemma faced by women - past and present - as they have struggled for avenues of expression. One vibrant way women have spoken out is through quilts, and in the pages of Homage to Amanda the voice of more than six generations of American women can be heard.Originally created as a catalog to accompany a quilt exhibit sponsored by the San Diego Museum of Art and taken on tour by the Smithsonian Institution, Homage to Amanda chronicles the growth of American quilting from colonial days to the twentieth century. Seventy-two color plates illustrate the development of the American quilting tradition, examining ways in which the pastime has grown from necessity to art. - from Amzon