The Old Age Craft Of Quilting
Quilting is a craft that has been around for centuries. For hundreds of years, the Chinese have used quilted cloth for their padded winter clothing. The Crusaders found that the quilted shirts worn by Arabs offered a great deal of protection under their chainmail. They even brought the idea back home in the 13th century. The process was adapted by European women for the use in creating bedcovers.
Quilting came to America with the Pilgrims, in the 16th century. Lack of resources made it necessary for the settlers to recycle their clothing and other fabrics, they made quilt tops, cutting the fabric into smaller pieces and patching or clouting it over and over until it wore out completely. These first quilts were more practical than pretty, but as the settlers prospered the designs became more colorful and elaborate. Appliqué also became a popular way of decorating the quilts and the patchwork quilt was officially born.
Around this time quilts became associated with the celebration of important events. Specific designs were created for specific reasons. The Double Wedding Ring design was used to mark a marriage or anniversary. This design was made from interlocking rings, each constructed from tiny patches. It was a very time consuming project, and usually was worked by multiple quilter’s at the same time.
These days’ patchwork quilts are traditionally made from scraps left over from past sewing projects. Not all scraps are suitable for this purpose. Loosely woven fabrics, such as muslin, are weak and prone to distortion, while very tightly woven fabrics, such as ticking, are not flexible enough and hard to stitch. Cotton is the best fabric to use, especially for inexperienced quilters. Once a quilter is more experienced they may add other fabrics like silk, lightweight wool and so on.
The color of a quilt is up to the creator. Most quilters plan their project carefully, or follow an established pattern. Making test patches is a great way to experiment. Colors are usually sorted into tones, light, medium and dark. Using tone helps to create depth and design. Textured fabric also creates different effects.
Pre-wash all fabrics in mild detergent and warm water before starting a quilt. Any fabrics that may run should be washed separately. When the fabrics are dry they should be ironed, either with a steam iron, or a dry iron and a clean damp cloth.
Quilts are made of three layers. The top piece is the layer that is decorated and most elaborate. The middle piece is a layer of batting, or wadding, that provides warmth. The third piece is the backing. These three layers are held together with lines of stitching. These lines may be worked in a grid, in straight rows or elaborate patterns. Originally they were sewn by hand with a needle. Today some quilters still produce quilts this way, while others prefer machine quilting.
In the pioneer days the only equipment needed to produce a quilt included a needle, thread and material, and hopefully a pair if shears and a thimble. A wooden frame would be constructed to allow the quilter to use both hands, or to enable more than one sewer to work at a time. Quilting bees were popular social gatherings. Today many quilters prefer to use a large wooden hoop to make their projects more portable.
American Patchwork and Quilting
If you are just starting to dabble in the wonderful world of quilting, American patchwork squares might be a good place to begin. American patchwork quilting began as a way for women to get together and socialize over the needles, thread and fabric that went into creating the warm quilts that adorned many beds in the early years. These meetings became known as quilting bees, and they became the opportunity for the senior women in the group to mentor the younger generations by teaching them how to care for their homes and families as well as how to sew. Most of the folks who brought quilting to America were emigrants from places like Ireland, offering the influence of these cultures into the American patchwork and quilting of today.
How to Quilt with American Patchwork
The key to American patchwork and quilting is in the accuracy of the cutting and stitching, first and foremost. This accuracy can be much more easily accomplished with some of the quilting tools that are used today, like the rotary cutter and the measuring tools available in quilting and craft stores. Many of the pieces that are cut for American patchwork and quilting are done with long strips that are cut along the grain of the fabric. The pieces are sewn together into squares, and then the squares are assembled into the finished piece. The completed blocks can be created out of four, five, seven or nine patch blocks, depending on the pattern that is being followed or the preferences of the quilter. One of the fun aspects to American patchwork and quilting is that many women can work together on one piece, by each completing a block and then sewing the various blocks together.
This technique of sharing the efforts of a quilt make American patchwork and quilting not only an important part of this country’s history, but also a special method for constructing a gift for a couple that is getting married or a new baby. It allows a number of crafters to put their own signature on what is sure to be an important family heirloom for the lucky recipient. You can create the blocks to be identical in color and pattern, or you can allow each crafter to develop their own creation that will fit into the finished piece in terms of size and design. Once your blocks are completed, you can get together to layer the final pieces and put the finishing stitches on the quilt.
The Patterns of American Patchwork Quilting
There are many patterns in American patchwork and quilting, and perhaps one of the most familiar is the log cabin pattern. Many think that this quilt square resembles the log cabins that the first settlers in this country had built, making it a true American patchwork and quilting tradition. Since it began, the log cabin pattern has seen a variety of designs and colors, but the overall pattern of the piece is indeed hard to miss.
