| Quilting began in America from a shortage of | | | | time. Small quilts were made to welcome a |
| fabric and the ingenuity of the early | | | | new baby into the community; large bed-size |
| settlers. Women would turn worn-out clothes, | | | | quilts were made for a young couple getting |
| blankets, curtains, towels, and sheets into | | | | married; and other quilts were made as |
| works of art to keep their families warm | | | | blankets were needed or when fabrics were |
| during the cold New England winters. As with | | | | available. As girls grew up, they joined the |
| so many other community events, such as | | | | quilting circles, learning quiltmaking |
| building homes and barns, sharing the | | | | skills, becoming a part of the quilting |
| harvests, and celebrating, quilting became an | | | | community, and continuing the tradition |
| activity that brought families together for | | | | initiated many generations prior.As America |
| the common good.Women would gather, often | | | | grew and changed, so did quilting. Quilting |
| weekly, to sew. Fabric, patterns, and labor | | | | circles continue their tradition in some |
| were shared. Frequently, everyone in the | | | | communities, both in geographical and in |
| group would work on the same quilt so it | | | | social communities. |
| could be finished in a shorter period of | | | | |