| Farmington Valley Quilt Festival 2008 Art, Craft, Tradition October 4th & 5th, 2008 Simsbury, Connecticut |
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When we speak of quilt making, we really are talking of three different crafts: quilting, patchwork
and applique. Quilting refers to the sewing together of two layers of fabric with an inner layer of
some warm, insulating material, such as cotton, silk or wool. It is both practical and decorative.
Quilting is one of the oldest crafts known to humankind. The earliest known visual reference to
quilting is found on an Egyptian ivory carving from about 3400 BC. The carving shows a pharaoh
wearing a mantle hat. The oldest actual example of quilted fabric, a quilted carpet found in
Mongolia, dates from somewhere between the first century BC and the second century AD.
Patchwork and applique are also very ancient techniques. Patchwork or piecework is the
process of seaming small pieces of fabric in to a larger whole. Pieced silk banners and votive
hangings have been discovered in the caves of the Thousand Buddhas in India that date from
the sixth century. Applique is the process of sewing smaller pieces of fabric onto a larger
background fabric. Perhaps the earliest example of appliqued work is an Egyptian canopy of
appliqued leather dating from 980 BC.
European settlers brought a rich tradition of quilt making to America. Although no quilts survive
from seventeenth century America, household inventories make numerous references to them.
The oldest surviving pieced quilt in existence is the Saltonstall quilt made in Massachusetts in
1704. There are only a few quilts surviving from the early eighteenth century, but many good
examples remain from the latter part of the century. Applique with embroidered accents is typical
of the quilts of this period. The Valentine Museum in Richmond has a wonderful example of the
late eighteenth century quilt, the Westover-Berkley coverlet.
Quilting flourished during the nineteenth century. By the beginning of the century American textile
manufacturing had grown to the point that a wide variety of quality fabrics were readily available
to the homemaker. The industry continued to grow as new printing techniques and synthetic
dyes were invented. This wealth of fabric available is reflected in the creation of new designs
and variations on old patterns. Most of the patchwork patterns used by today's quilters were
developed during the nineteenth century. The names of quilt block patterns reflect the history of
America's westward migration.
Appliqued and embroidered quilts also flourished in the nineteenth century. Many of the
appliqued masterpieces known as Baltimore album quilts survive in museums and private
collections. The Victorian crazy quilt was introduced in the second half of the century. These
exuberant creations were a wonderful way to display both ones skill at embroidery and
collection of fancy dress fabrics.
Quilt making declined in the early twentieth century, but the Great Depression brought a revival
of quilt making. Economic hardship made home sewing more important. Thrifty quilters used
flour and feed sacks for their quilts. The Works Progress Administration encouraged the
development of community industry and handicrafts. Recognizing the importance of preserving
American handicrafts, the WPA taught quilting, weaving, applique and embroidery. World War II
brought an end to the quilt revival.
As the bicentennial of the American Revolution approached, Americans again became
interested in quilting. Since the nineteen seventies there has been a great revival of interest in
quilting. Books and television programs about quilts have encouraged hundreds of thousands
of Americans to pick up a needle and make a quilt. A thriving industry has grown around this
renewed interest. The proliferation of quilting guilds and quilt shows has kept the quilt revival
alive. The art quilt movement has developed during this same period. Fabric has become the
medium of choice for many fine artists.
Whether traditional folk art from centuries past or contemporary masterworks, quilts are great
American treasures to be enjoyed in area museum collections and quilt exhibits.
See webiology
and applique. Quilting refers to the sewing together of two layers of fabric with an inner layer of
some warm, insulating material, such as cotton, silk or wool. It is both practical and decorative.
Quilting is one of the oldest crafts known to humankind. The earliest known visual reference to
quilting is found on an Egyptian ivory carving from about 3400 BC. The carving shows a pharaoh
wearing a mantle hat. The oldest actual example of quilted fabric, a quilted carpet found in
Mongolia, dates from somewhere between the first century BC and the second century AD.
Patchwork and applique are also very ancient techniques. Patchwork or piecework is the
process of seaming small pieces of fabric in to a larger whole. Pieced silk banners and votive
hangings have been discovered in the caves of the Thousand Buddhas in India that date from
the sixth century. Applique is the process of sewing smaller pieces of fabric onto a larger
background fabric. Perhaps the earliest example of appliqued work is an Egyptian canopy of
appliqued leather dating from 980 BC.
European settlers brought a rich tradition of quilt making to America. Although no quilts survive
from seventeenth century America, household inventories make numerous references to them.
The oldest surviving pieced quilt in existence is the Saltonstall quilt made in Massachusetts in
1704. There are only a few quilts surviving from the early eighteenth century, but many good
examples remain from the latter part of the century. Applique with embroidered accents is typical
of the quilts of this period. The Valentine Museum in Richmond has a wonderful example of the
late eighteenth century quilt, the Westover-Berkley coverlet.
Quilting flourished during the nineteenth century. By the beginning of the century American textile
manufacturing had grown to the point that a wide variety of quality fabrics were readily available
to the homemaker. The industry continued to grow as new printing techniques and synthetic
dyes were invented. This wealth of fabric available is reflected in the creation of new designs
and variations on old patterns. Most of the patchwork patterns used by today's quilters were
developed during the nineteenth century. The names of quilt block patterns reflect the history of
America's westward migration.
Appliqued and embroidered quilts also flourished in the nineteenth century. Many of the
appliqued masterpieces known as Baltimore album quilts survive in museums and private
collections. The Victorian crazy quilt was introduced in the second half of the century. These
exuberant creations were a wonderful way to display both ones skill at embroidery and
collection of fancy dress fabrics.
Quilt making declined in the early twentieth century, but the Great Depression brought a revival
of quilt making. Economic hardship made home sewing more important. Thrifty quilters used
flour and feed sacks for their quilts. The Works Progress Administration encouraged the
development of community industry and handicrafts. Recognizing the importance of preserving
American handicrafts, the WPA taught quilting, weaving, applique and embroidery. World War II
brought an end to the quilt revival.
As the bicentennial of the American Revolution approached, Americans again became
interested in quilting. Since the nineteen seventies there has been a great revival of interest in
quilting. Books and television programs about quilts have encouraged hundreds of thousands
of Americans to pick up a needle and make a quilt. A thriving industry has grown around this
renewed interest. The proliferation of quilting guilds and quilt shows has kept the quilt revival
alive. The art quilt movement has developed during this same period. Fabric has become the
medium of choice for many fine artists.
Whether traditional folk art from centuries past or contemporary masterworks, quilts are great
American treasures to be enjoyed in area museum collections and quilt exhibits.
See webiology
A Brief History of Quilt Making -- 1/25/2001
By Nelda Mohr, CRRL Staff
(reprinted with permission of Central Rappahannock Regional Library, and Neida Mohr)
By Nelda Mohr, CRRL Staff
(reprinted with permission of Central Rappahannock Regional Library, and Neida Mohr)