Quilts have long had a place in the hearts of Americans, dating from the days when pioneer wives used scraps of old clothing, feed sacks, or other material too good to throw away to make warm coverings for family beds. The technique was brought over by European settlers, although in colonial days only the wealthy had quilts. They are time-consuming to make and few people had the leisure hours required. Today, there's a wealth of information on how to make a quilt for practical or artistic purposes.
Basically, a quilt is a three-layer fabric creation consisting of a top, padded middle layer, and bottom. The top is often decorative, with colorful patches, fine stitching, embroidery, or anything else the person who creates it wants to use. The layers are bound together at the edge and also at many central points, to keep the inner padding from shifting and bunching.
Early quilts were, of course made by hand and were more art than the practical coverings they became as living became easier. The time it took to create a quilt - all three layers needed to be pieced together, since hand looms did not make wide fabrics - kept most women from making them. African American slaves often crafted quilts for their masters.
During the late 1800's, women began making quilts for home use. At first, this was a way to reuse old feed sacks, worn-out clothing, or scraps to make warm coverings for the family. Later, even these homemade spreads became decorative. Quilting-bees were social occasions when women would gather and work on one project at a time.
Patchwork quilts have tops made from small pieces of cloth sewn together in random designs or detailed patterns. A whole-cloth top is made of one or more large pieces of one color, stitched together and then decorated with the stitching itself. The stitching indents the layers and catches the light; white on white can be incredibly beautiful.
There are still many people who make quilts entirely by hand, loving the whole process and not worrying about how long it takes. Others have found that machine-quilting can look as attractive without such an extreme input of time and effort. In a finished project, it's hard to tell the difference. A fine homemade bed covering or wall hanging can become a family treasure.
If a thick, warm covering is desired, stitching the layers together may be almost impossible. Tying is the method used for heavier quilts. Strong, heavy thread, yarn, or string is pulled through all three layers at regular points and knotted. This keeps the layers together and keeps the inner one from shifting; the effect can be very decorative. Buttons can be used instead of knots.
Anyone who wants to make a quilt can do it without instruction, but the best results are achieved by taking a class or working with an experienced quilter at first. There are thousands of sites online that give tips ranging from simple to esoteric. There are also instructional videos. Lots of people love this form of expression and are happy to share their knowledge.
Basically, a quilt is a three-layer fabric creation consisting of a top, padded middle layer, and bottom. The top is often decorative, with colorful patches, fine stitching, embroidery, or anything else the person who creates it wants to use. The layers are bound together at the edge and also at many central points, to keep the inner padding from shifting and bunching.
Early quilts were, of course made by hand and were more art than the practical coverings they became as living became easier. The time it took to create a quilt - all three layers needed to be pieced together, since hand looms did not make wide fabrics - kept most women from making them. African American slaves often crafted quilts for their masters.
During the late 1800's, women began making quilts for home use. At first, this was a way to reuse old feed sacks, worn-out clothing, or scraps to make warm coverings for the family. Later, even these homemade spreads became decorative. Quilting-bees were social occasions when women would gather and work on one project at a time.
Patchwork quilts have tops made from small pieces of cloth sewn together in random designs or detailed patterns. A whole-cloth top is made of one or more large pieces of one color, stitched together and then decorated with the stitching itself. The stitching indents the layers and catches the light; white on white can be incredibly beautiful.
There are still many people who make quilts entirely by hand, loving the whole process and not worrying about how long it takes. Others have found that machine-quilting can look as attractive without such an extreme input of time and effort. In a finished project, it's hard to tell the difference. A fine homemade bed covering or wall hanging can become a family treasure.
If a thick, warm covering is desired, stitching the layers together may be almost impossible. Tying is the method used for heavier quilts. Strong, heavy thread, yarn, or string is pulled through all three layers at regular points and knotted. This keeps the layers together and keeps the inner one from shifting; the effect can be very decorative. Buttons can be used instead of knots.
Anyone who wants to make a quilt can do it without instruction, but the best results are achieved by taking a class or working with an experienced quilter at first. There are thousands of sites online that give tips ranging from simple to esoteric. There are also instructional videos. Lots of people love this form of expression and are happy to share their knowledge.
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