The History of Quilting essays

The History of Quilting essays The History of Quilting A quilt is a warm bedcovering made of three layers: top, padding, and backing. Quilting is an ancient craft that has been the subject of many changes of use over the centuries. In the 1600s many people who lived in Europe left their homes and sailed away to America to start a new life. They lived in small settlements called colonies. By 1700, Great Britain controlled a string of colonies along the eastern coast of what is today the United States. The people in the colonies needed food, shelter and clothing. There were no stores or supplies in the wilderness, so the colonists had to bring with them everything they needed to begin life in their land. Among the many things that were brought, quilts were one of the most useful. Quilting started as a form of warmth and protection, but later developed as an art form of decoration. Quilted fabrics have been used for protective armor, warm clothing, warm bedding, and just pure decoration. Quilts were out to all manner of uses: tents, bedcovers, mattresses, doors, windows, flooring, and protection for precious crops (Bail 10). Quilts were also used to keep familys valuables from breaking during the bumpy wagon ride west. The quilts also served as cushions and beds for the weary travelers (Morgan 6). Settlers took many quilts with them because winters were often cold and stormy. Quilting slowly started to become a big social activity which was one of few opportunities many women had to enjoy a productive break from their every day chores. Much has been recorded of quilting bees where woman worked together, but it would be wrong to think that this was the only way in which quilts were made (Chainey 21). The majority of quilts on both sides of the Atlantic were the work of many women and their close family. After 1875 a new bedcovering-the Marcella or Marseilles quilt- ...