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