When was quilting invented

Many variations of the quilt were developed during these early times to adapt to the conditions of their lives in early America. One was the style that I know as a comforter where the layers are tied to keep the layers from shifting or bunching. Another was a summer quilt which was created without the warm middle material, resulting in a lighter quilt for the warmer days.

Quilt making was taught to the young daughters in early days. She would piece together 12 everyday quilt tops and one more decorative that would be used for her bridal bed. Once she became engaged, then the quilt top would be completed for her use in her new home. Likewise, mothers often created multiple quilts for each of her children to take with them when they left home.

With the establishment of slavery also came the development of a unique look. Often a mismatch of fabrics, colors and shapes, these quilts had a unique beauty of their own that told the story of their struggles. The art of quilting took a big leap forward in the mids with the development of the sewing machine. Unlike quilting, patchwork remained a predominantly domestic, rather than professional, undertaking.

Not all patchwork was produced for reasons of economy, however. There's evidence that some of the patchwork quilts in our collection used significant amounts of specially bought fabrics and these quilts have been attributed to middle-class women making these objects for pleasure rather than necessity.

There was also a tradition of military quilts, sewn by male soldiers while posted overseas in the second half of the 19th century. The Museum initially collected examples of patchwork because of the significance of the fragments of textiles, rather than the works as a whole.

As a result, our collection charts the use of the fine silks and velvets of the 17th and 18th centuries through to the cheap cottons manufactured during the Industrial Revolution. The largest number of patchwork quilts in our collection date from the 19th century. During this period, intricate designs were used to portray a number of different motifs — from scripture and biblical scenes, as seen in Ann West's coverlet , to scenes of world events and even playing-card designs, as seen in a bed cover dated to — This kind of patchwork was so popular that several examples were displayed at the Great Exhibition of During the same period, patchwork was promoted by the likes of prison reformer Elizabeth Fry as a skill that should be taught to female inmates — a means of providing the prisoners both employment and allowing time for reflection.

Patchwork saw a broad decline over the 20th century, but was adopted by the fashion industry in the s as a 'look' associated with hippie culture, not just a technique. By the end of the century, both patchwork and quilting — as crafts so closely associated with women — became techniques used by artists such as Tracey Emin and Michelle Walker to explore notions of 'women's art' and work. Memoriam by Michele Walker is one example in our collection. You can also watch interviews with contemporary artists and quilt makers Jo Budd and Natasha Kerr who draw on the long tradition of quilting and patchwork for their contemporary art practice.

These quilts were considered more elegant than the humble pieced type. Applique for quilting came into favor around the mids and reached its climax about Only the wealthy could afford the expensive imported fabric and had the leisure time for this type of quilt making that displayed the fine needlework of the maker.

The earliest settlers had no labor or materials to spare so they typically found the simplest, most expedient solutions to problems. This focus on functionality was exhibited in their architecture, tools and household furnishings, as well as political and social institutions. The block-style pieced quilt was an example of this functional approach to design. Once again, the history of quilts mirrored that of the developing country.

In the early s Amish and Dutch colonists began settling in the rich farmlands of Pennsylvania and the Midwest. They emigrated from Europe with the hope that they would be able to have the freedom to live according to the principles of their religion. Those early pioneer women did not quilt, rather using the featherbeds traditionally used in Europe.

Over time, with contact with outsiders combined with necessity, Amish women began creating quilts with the characteristic beauty and craftsmanship that are the hallmark of Amish quilts. As the frontier was conquered, living conditions improved.

With prosperity and the availability of more materials, quilts became less austere. The patchwork quilt was a "utility" quilt, in contrast to the applique quilt which was a "best" or show quilt, upon which time and material was lavished.

A particularly popular style of quilt in the early days of quilting through the early s , was the Medallion quilt, which was made in a style that had actually been brought to America from Europe by the colonists. This type of quilt -- a central motif surrounded by multiple borders -- offered endless design possibilities for quilters, who could use patchwork, applique, embroidery, either alone or in combination. Though there are examples of elaborate patchwork quilts that took enormous amounts of time to make, pieced quilts were generally the everyday bedcover, and designed to be made quickly.

Since even small cloth remnants could be used in patchwork quilts, every scrap of fabric and usable portion of worn garments were saved and used in patchwork quilts. Pieced quilts became the most common type of quilt at that time. A variation of the utility quilt was the plain "tufted" quilt that is tied through in enough places to keep the filling from shifting and bunching.

While a tufted quilt has no stitching holding the layers together, it does have the typical three layers seen in traditional quilts. Another variation of the quilt is the "summer" quilt, which does not have the middle filling, so is useful as a bedcover during the warmer months. The summer quilt does have the traditional stitching holding the two layers together.

Members of rural communities frequently joined together to help their neighbors with big projects, such as barn building or finishing quilts. The quilting bee was a social event that allowed the finishing of several quilts in a single day instead of weeks or months. Quilting became a popular activity for major life events in which entire quilts were completed within a day due to limited time with neighbors whom early settlers might have only seen a few times a year.

These gatherings and the first boom in quilt popularity gave birth to many of the vintage blocks that we still use and gain inspiration from today.

Early American crafters, much like the earliest quilters, told stories with their projects by sewing the world around them. The pinwheel block utilizes motion, demonstrating the prairie winds of which they traveled. Star blocks captured the night sky and the importance of light in a vast, unexplored wilderness.

These blocks have been passed down for centuries until they became the staples of quilting that we know and love today. Today, quilting is more accessible than it ever has been. We live in a world of pre-cut fabrics available at the press of a button and instructional videos that can be watched online from the convenience of our homes.

The world of quilting continues to change as the world we live in evolves. Modern quilting utilizing bold color designs and prints, once an impossibility due to limited technology and supplies, has brightened the artform in unimaginable ways. Geometric and fractal quilting are growing in popularity as a new generation of quilters piece their first works, many of which have learned their craft online rather than through the traditional in-person learning process.

As the world changes, so does quilting.