| From keeping our beds warm to adorning our walls | | | | blocks. Embroidered quilts are popular when the design |
| and adding color to our living rooms, quilts have made | | | | involves creating specific images. Embroidery can |
| our lives brighter and more cheerful. These beautiful | | | | either be handmade or machine-made. Appliqué |
| hand-woven beddings are composed of a quilt top, a | | | | is the third method used in which various shapes are |
| layer of cotton batting and a layer of fabric for batting. | | | | sewn to the surface of a block. |
| This is the most common method of quilting. | | | | Although there are several hundreds of patterns in use |
| Quilts have held great cultural and historical significance | | | | today, some of them have stood out over the years, |
| over several hundred years. What started as a hobby | | | | ever since the American Revolutionary War. One such |
| for thrifty peasant women who put scraps of material | | | | pattern is the double wedding ring, which comprises of |
| and worn out clothing to design these beddings, soon | | | | a familiar series of interlocking circles. The log cabin |
| developed into a large-scale industry. Various methods | | | | pattern is a series of blocks, with rectangular strips of |
| and patterns were employed in the making of quilts, | | | | fabric sewn at right angles to each other to form |
| each with its own unique style and beauty. | | | | squares. Other widely used patterns include, Sunburst, |
| There is a dizzying array of quilt patterns in use today. | | | | Sawtooth, Bear's Paw and flowers and leaves formed |
| Each pattern has its own individual significance and | | | | by sewing together, octagonal pieces of cloth. |
| beauty. There are three main methods of creating a | | | | The influence of this age-old quilt patterns still lives on. |
| quilt top. Piercing or patchwork is the most popular | | | | Although several modifications and variations have |
| method employed. In this method, small geometric or | | | | been made to the patterns, the true essence of the |
| curved pieces of cloth are sewn together to form | | | | quilt lives on. |