| While the history of quilting is fraught with | | | | possible for quilting for the beginner to |
| many examples of possible origins dating back | | | | advance from the crude patchwork designs to |
| as far as biblical times with the story of | | | | the more unique quilting block styles, such |
| Josephs 'Coat of Many Colors', it is | | | | as this nine patch quilt called a shoo fly. |
| generally agreed that the more traditional | | | | While there are many hundreds of variations |
| American/European had it's start with the | | | | of the nine patch quilt, the shoo fly is |
| patchwork quilts in the 1780's. Patchwork | | | | great quilting for the beginner to start out |
| quilts in essence were quilting for the | | | | with. As for the history of quilting the shoo |
| beginner, in that scraps of cloth were sewn | | | | fly nine patch quilt, it appears first around |
| together to provide clothing and blankets as | | | | the 1870's. You will notice that there are |
| a matter of scarcity and necessity. | | | | two basic shapes, a square and a triangle |
| | | | which will both be important permanent rotary |
| The very first patchwork quilts used for | | | | cutter templates that will be used in |
| blankets were layers of cloth sewn together | | | | quilting other nine patch quilts for beginner |
| with a few strong running stitches. These | | | | to expert. The shoo fly is named after a |
| primitive patchwork quilts according to the | | | | child's rocker having the seat built between |
| history of quilting resembled the thick and | | | | two flat sides cut in the shape of an animal. |
| cumbersome pallets which were slept upon. Due | | | | |
| to the difficulty in stitching the many | | | | Never before in the history of quilting, have |
| layers together the quilting frame was | | | | the techniques used for this pattern been |
| invented. | | | | used for quilting with the beginner in mind. |
| | | | Most experienced quilters will tell you when |
| Progress in technology deeply affected the | | | | they did their first nine patch quilt like |
| number and styles of patchwork quilts made | | | | the shoo fly, they learned how to cut a |
| during the middle years of the 1800s. The | | | | square in half diagonally once or twice in |
| industrial revolution, the turning point in | | | | order to get their half-square triangles. |
| the history of quilting brought about the | | | | However, this method is not accurate |
| most dramatic change as textiles came to be | | | | mathematically and with one wrong move, you |
| manufactured on a broad scale. This meant | | | | could wind up with two (2) or four (4) |
| women no longer had to spend time spinning | | | | different sizes. It is difficult to place the |
| and weaving to provide fabric for their | | | | ruler diagonally in the exact center of each |
| family's needs. By the 1840s the textile | | | | corner while preventing the material from |
| industry had grown to the point that | | | | moving or splitting apart, when having to cut |
| commercial fabrics were affordable to almost | | | | twice on the diagonal. |
| every family. As a result quilting for | | | | |
| beginners became widespread. | | | | Every quilter knows that cutting strips are |
| | | | not always an exact science. Sometimes it is |
| Another major shift in the history of | | | | hard to read the same measurement time after |
| quilting was in the style of patchwork quilts | | | | time, and to continually have to re-align the |
| made. Although a few earlier quilts were made | | | | edges as the material starts getting off the |
| in the block style, quilts made up of blocks | | | | mark after so many cuts. When I did my own |
| were uncommon until around the 1840s. With so | | | | first nine patch quilt, I would often open up |
| many fabrics being manufactured quilting for | | | | the strip only to discover that I had a |
| beginners created their blocks with a | | | | "wave" in the middle of the strip from |
| delightful variety of fabrics. | | | | inaccurate folding. It was after many years |
| | | | of trial and error that I came up with these |
| During this period the invention and | | | | exclusive techniques and quilting secrets |
| availability of the sewing machine | | | | that will have you quilting your own award |
| contributed to the history of quilting. In | | | | winning nine patch quilt in no time. |
| 1856 The Singer Company started the | | | | |
| installment plan so that more families could | | | | There will be no guessing games when it comes |
| afford a sewing machine. Many patterns were | | | | to setting shapes together, as you will cut |
| created with the beginning quilter in mind. | | | | all the points with the permanent rotary |
| By the 1870s a good many households owned a | | | | cutter template material for easy piecing, |
| sewing machine. This affected patchwork quilt | | | | which eliminates the "dog ears" and makes the |
| making in two ways. First of all women could | | | | margin of error practically non-existent. You |
| make clothing for their family in much less | | | | will also be able to slash your preparation |
| time, leaving more time for patchwork quilt | | | | time in half so you can have more time and |
| making. Secondly they could use their sewing | | | | greater satisfaction to create more beautiful |
| machines to make all or part of their | | | | quilts. |
| patchwork quilts. More often the sewing | | | | |
| machine was used to piece nine patch quilts | | | | ©Copyright 2007 Unique Quilter a |
| but occasionally the patchwork quilting was | | | | subsidiary of Neo Fortunes, Inc. |
| done with the sewing machine. This made it | | | | |