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.

While many people take part in a retreat as an escape from their everyday lives, quilting retreats are designed to help quilters escape the distractions that work to prevent them from finishing their favorite project. Quilting retreats are designed to allow quilters, who come from all over, to gather in one place to share tips, ideas and secret methods to creating some of the most beautiful quilts all collected in one place.

The majority of quilting retreats are targeted toward women, who comprise the vast majority of the quilting population. However, men are accepted at most retreat centers. While they may initially feel a little out of place in a co-ed format, once the discussions of quilting begin, misgivings will quickly diminish.

In a general sense, retreats are set up to help attendees focus totally on the matter at hand. Whether it is a religious retreat, or a retreat for different types of crafts that brings a group of like-minded individuals together aids greatly in the exchange of ideas. These retreats help teach beginning quilters many of the basics and offer tips and tricks on how to make some of the time-honored techniques work better are the main purposes of quilting retreats.

Quilters In Search Of Solitude

Different retreats are set up in different fashion. Some retreats are designed to enable quilters to work alone. Other facilities are set up for working as a group. Most rooms offer large tables to enable work on quilts to be done. In addition, quilting tables are set up in common rooms for the group effect. Many quilting retreats will also have available some of the newer quilting machines during the retreat so attendees will not have be dragging their machines along with them.

Having machines available at quilting retreats also allows quilters to learn how they work. This could entice them to buy a newer one. They can also be introduced to a machine if they have spent their entire quilting life stitching by hand. Many of the other supplies and tools used in quilting will also be displayed and are available for purchase for those who choose to try new things while attending quilting retreats.

For the many attendees, quilting retreats offer a time to join with others who share like passions, and yet with none of the distractions of daily life. They can indulge themselves in quilting and all the joy that goes with it. They have ample time to work on their latest project and also gather instruction and ideas for the next major endeavor. It is a chance to find themselves in the quilting world.

Regardless of how easy a process may appear to be, through the years American ingenuity has always turned up new ways to accomplish the same things. This concept applies especially to quilters as each one struggles with some aspect of quilting. Tips will then emerge as a means of making the craft easier. For example, if you are having a problem determining the grain in a fabric, turn the piece over. Usually the print on the backside is fainter and the direction of the thread is easier to see.

Many quilters like to pre-wash the fabric before turning it into a work of art. But some have found that a washing machine is not too friendly to a new piece of cloth. The small threads at the edges seem to get longer and more tangled. If tossed into the dryer with all the threads loose, they will really be tied together. This pulls the fabric into unimaginable shapes. One of the quilting tips used to eliminate this is to cut off a small, triangular piece from each of the four corners of the cloth before placing it in the washing machine. This little trick of clipping about a half-inch triangle should end the binding thread nightmare.

Another of the quilting tips involves using the iron when pressing a seam allowance. Before you press the allowance to one side, set the iron flat and leave it there. Don’t move it around. The seam will set smooth without the puckers showing from being sewn.

Practice for Quilters

When someone starts a new hobby or even a new job, they usually take part in some kind of training. Even after they are good at it, they practice to advance or at least maintain their ability. It is no different with quilting. While many quilters have enjoyed their craft for years, quilting tips always seem to help. If one of the new quilting tips involves using your quilting machine, it’s good advice to always practice on scrap cloth first. There is no shame in having a few scraps lying around on which to practice a new stitch for the first few times.

Practically everyone has some sort of warm up routine they go through regardless of their activity. Runners, sports athletes, even many typists have a routine to limber their muscles and minds to prepare for the task at hand. Many quilters use a flannel baby blanket to run a few stitches through their machine to warm up and be ready to work before putting their expensive fabric under the needle.