| Quilting is the art of stitching through | | | | the 1700s the more wealthy ladies were |
| padding that has been placed between 2 | | | | making their quilts from pieces of silk, |
| layers of cloth. It was believed to | | | | linen and wool and these became known as |
| have been invented by the Americans in | | | | Crazy Quilts. In fact quilts and |
| the 19th Century. However this is not | | | | bedding were highly prized by families |
| true. In fact, quilting has been around | | | | during the 1700 and 1800's and would be |
| in Egypt since 3,400 BC. Certainly one | | | | passed down from generation to |
| of the earliest examples to be found of | | | | generation. |
| quilting was that of a carved ivory | | | | By the middle of the 1800's, because of |
| figure of an Egyptian pharaoh from the | | | | the invention of the cotton gin, this |
| 1st Dynasty. The figure was supposedly | | | | fabric begun to be manufactured not just |
| wearing a quilted mantle and certainly | | | | in Europe but in the US as well. It was |
| quilting was probably used as layers in | | | | then that patchwork quilting patterns |
| clothing in order to keep a person warm. | | | | became the vogue. Only the more wealthy |
| In fact many early forms of quilting | | | | quilters would be able to buy cotton in |
| were not used for bedding but rather as | | | | its various shades and then cut it up |
| clothing in order to keep a person warm. | | | | into geometric shapes which they could |
| Only later on did people decide that it | | | | then sew together in blocks. Originally |
| was the ideal solution for keeping | | | | only very simple designs were used such |
| themselves warm at night as well. In | | | | as squares, rectangles and triangles, |
| Europe in colonial times the soldiers of | | | | but as time progressed the designs being |
| this time resisted wearing armor and | | | | produced were much more daring and |
| instead turned to padded quilted | | | | fanciful. But with the invention of the |
| clothing instead to provide them with | | | | locked stitch sewing machine a woman was |
| protection. | | | | able to put together a quilt much more |
| Then by the 1600's colonists who had | | | | quickly than they had been able to |
| moved to America were also bringing | | | | previously when sewing their quilting |
| their quilting skills and styles with | | | | fabric together by hand. |
| them from their homelands in Europe. By | | | | |