Quilting History – How It All Began
For some quilters it is quite enough to be involved in such a delightful craft and such a creative pastime. That’s all that matters. Still others are quite interested to learn how all of this came into being. They enjoy learning all about quilting history. Quilting certainly has had a colorful past and has been incorporated into the daily lives of ordinary people, and royalty, for many long centuries. Knowing the ins and outs of quilting history may not help you to turn out a better product, but it may allow you to enjoy it more, knowing how it all came to be.
The Trivia of Quilting History
Quilting history can actually be traced all the way back to 3400 BC when clothing and bedding was first quilted so that people could keep warm. If you think about it, layering fabric to stay warm was an excellent idea. All those centuries ago, no one had heaters or heavy coats to keep the cold out. Quilting history show that this craft that has become popular today in making beautiful bedding products, back then it was used more for creating items of necessity such as the warm clothing. Not only is quilting useful, it is great fun. Many different groups throughout history have used the art of quilting for making wonderful items. We will be looking at a few of these groups that helped make quilting history.
A Trip Down Memory Lane
To look at quilting history and discover the beginning, we need to go back many centuries. Quilting dates back farther than most people think. We usually associate quilting with the women of colonial times but as you can see, it goes back farther than that. Women would gather together to quilt and this would be about the only time they would socialize in some places. Here is more quilting history;
3400 B.C.: Egyptian statue has quilted mantle carved on it.
1600’s: Colonists brought quilted cloth coverlets and garments to America
1700’s: The wealthy had quilted pillows and other items in their homes
Very popular craft among rich ladies
1800’s: Old quilts and heirlooms were showing up in Estate sales
1930’s: Cotton bags used for carrying other things were printed and used for fabric in the Depression.
Some of the quilts from past history were not exactly made with the same fabrics as we use today. Some quilts were made with one entire piece of cloth rather than strips or small blocks and pieces. Batting was not used for the inside of the quilt. Instead of batting, old worn out blankets were used as the padding. To distinguish between summer quilts and winter quilts, you would check to see if that quilt had any batting in it. If it did not have batting, it was considered a summer quilt. Quilting history also shows that bedding was not the only thing that was created from quilting. Quilting was used in clothing as well.
Quilters are a Part of History
As you can see, quilting history dates back much farther most people realize. Quilting has survived throughout the ages of changing fads and styles. Through the years the fabric designs may have changed but the quilts have not. What makes quilting history so interesting is the fact that while the methods may change, the craft does not and is still one of the most popular pastimes in America.