|
Quilting
Colonists from England and Holland probably introduced the early quilting techniques into America. In early America, woven cloth was a luxury, since women had to weave cloth from cotton themselves. For that reason, every scrap of cloth was saved to patch up garments and bedclothes. Somewhere along the way, seamstresses realized that by sewing the scraps together and putting a layer of cotton between them, they could make a warm bedcovering. Quilting was popular among the poor, since the elite could buy silk and other warm clothing that was imported from overseas. The first quilts typically were made from plain cloth or burlap pieces sewn together with a fiber filling for more warmth. Unlike current quilts, which fashion beautiful colors and patterns, the first quilts were colorless and plain, often not evenly sewn together.
Americans in the next century branched out from plain quilting to patchwork quilting. Patchwork quilting was especially popular in early days because of its social nature. While only one person at a time can work at a loom to spin cloth, several people at once can sew a quilt together. In fact, in the Highlands, the quilting party was an important feature of early 20th century life. In the summer of 1935 at the log raising of the new Penland craft house, a dozen women quilted on a nearby cabin porch while the men worked on the building, quilting a blanket for one of the village women who was scheduled to be married. Young women often made quilt tops for themselves or their friends to prepare for marriage.
Sources:
Cranston Village Web site, http://www.cranstonvillage.com/quilt/quilt.htm
Eaton, Allen H. Handicrafts of the Southern Highlands. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1937.
|
