Quilt Making Through The Years

Discover The Quilting Techniques Of Japanese Quilts, Country Quilts, Hawaiian Quilts, Patchwork Quilts, Vintage Quilts And Get Quilting Ideas Throughout The History Of Quilting

Quilting is as old as the hills, and for many, has that wonderful combination of domestic necessity, social cohesion, and craftwork and commemoration. Needlework was a very necessary skill for a woman.  Without this, they would not be able to make their clothes, and would not be able to make the soft furnishings that not only ‘make a house into a home’, but are necessary for keeping out draughts from windows and doors, and for keeping everyone warm at night.

Quilting methods don’t vary enormously throughout the world, but the designs are largely specific to a country, or a society, although the traditional American patchwork designs have become loved worldwide. There are different styles of quilting, which largely reflect the country of origin and traditions of their quilting history.

Effectively though, quilting requires a sandwich of fabrics.  You begin with a face fabric, which can be made up of patchwork or blocks, or which could be a plain color, or a printed fabric. You can use different colored threads to match the color of the fabric, or contrasting colors, or even colorless thread.

Quilting can be simple or complex patchwork; it can be the most exquisite stitchery on simple or costly fabrics. It is wonderful to have such a craft, which is a means of handing down traditions amongst womenfolk mainly, and which has an end product that can both look beautiful, and keep you warm at night.