| Quilting is an ancient activity, present in | | | | of the quilting stitch represented by the |
| many cultures and each of these cultures | | | | coarse line and embroidery. |
| influencing its development and particularity | | | | |
| through time. The quilts became the | | | | The 17th century gives us the first bed |
| expression of their maker's feelings, the | | | | covering - the Levens Hall, made from |
| witness of historical events or happy moments | | | | imported Indian chintzes. The details and the |
| in simple people's lives. From its beginning | | | | exquisite craft design indicate it as an |
| until the present days, quilting had its ups | | | | example of high quality quilting, not just an |
| and downs. Today, the development of the | | | | ordinary bed covering. |
| textiles industry and those of the machines | | | | |
| and accessories used in making the quilts, | | | | When colonists brought the first |
| the improved techniques of quilting have | | | | patchwork-quilted products in America, they |
| transformed this simple activity into a true | | | | did not know how much this art would develop |
| art. | | | | here. American women saw the great advantages |
| | | | of quilting, the functionality and the |
| The oldest quilt was comes from ancient Egypt | | | | artistic experience of quilts and decided to |
| and it consists in a clothing item found on | | | | expand and improve the scarce samples brought |
| the statue of an Egyptian pharaoh, who lived | | | | by the colonists. Therefore, they started to |
| around the year 3400 before Jesus Christ. The | | | | create interesting geometrical designs that |
| technique used in quilting stitches was also | | | | became very popular in the 1880's fairs and |
| found in decorative objects from Middle eve | | | | competitions. |
| churches. It is considered that the Templar | | | | |
| Knights themselves took over the idea of | | | | Long with the modern sawing techniques of the |
| quilted garments from the Muslim soldiers, | | | | 20th century, the traditional craft of |
| who used it to replace parts of their armour | | | | quilted bed coverings, table coverings or |
| when the metal was not enough. | | | | child comforts slightly decreased. Cheap and |
| | | | mass-produced garments and comforters |
| In America, the ones who have brought and | | | | replaced the original quilted bed coverings. |
| developed quilting were the Dutch and the | | | | |
| English colonists, who made three laired | | | | The 1960's brought the remerge of the |
| clothes to protect them from cold and, from | | | | quilting activity in the southern areas of |
| the remains of the fabrics they made bed | | | | the United States and the tradition was once |
| coverings. This happened in the early 12th | | | | again brought back to life and passed from |
| century and there are some written records | | | | one generation to another. It took almost 20 |
| about the quilting craft and the designed | | | | years, until 1980, to make the art of |
| used in those times, but few samples were | | | | quilting be re-appreciated and practiced all |
| found because the fabrics were perishable. | | | | over the country by passions women, even |
| Though, a well-preserved sample is dated 15th | | | | became a flowering business. |
| century and you can observe here the parent | | | | |