If you have ever been lucky enough to own a quilt handed down to you from a grandmother, great grandmother, or someone even farther back in your family tree, you understand how fascinating and valued they are. Over the years many myths have grown up around this quintessentially American craft. Quilt museums have researched some of the most popular with some surprising results.
To a large extent quilts shape our understanding of this country's beginnings. We imagine hard working Colonial women lovingly stitching bed covers from scraps of old clothes and remnants of discarded materials, underscoring the virtue of thrift. Many believe some quilts held secret messages during the period of slavery, offering instructions for runaway slaves hunting the Underground Railroad.
Many have a vision of housewives keeping scrap bags filled with material remnants to be turned into quilts. This fits the view of early settlers as hard workers who had to be creative with very limited resources. The truth is that the majority of early American quilts were created using whole cloth, not remnants. Textiles were imported and very expensive. It was only after the Industrial Revolution that people began quilting from scraps.
Most people assume that women made quilts in colonial times. It makes sense that they would sew quilts to keep their families warm. This apparently was a fairly rare phenomenon. Textiles were very expensive commodities during this time. Once industry technology advanced to the point that mass production brought the price of material down, it made economic sense to cut up fabric and then sew it together for another purpose.
Many people associate quilting only with women. Feminists have embraced quilting as a good example of the strength and ingenuity of women. They point to the communal aspect of quilting bees that brought women together working toward a common goal. While this is true, there are any number of talented professional male quilters. There are also male quilt pattern artists. Some of their best works hang concurrently with female quilters.
Most Americans believe that quilting is specific to the United States. It is true that Americans have their own distinct styles and traditions, but some of them can be traced back to England and France. The popular mosaic patchwork designs most are familiar with actually originated in Britain. Some of the earliest quilted textiles have been found in Mongolia. These date back to the first century.
One of the most persistent myths surrounding the American quilting phenomenon is that it played a powerful part in the Underground Railroad. The belief is that quilters sewed code into their creations to guide fugitive slaves to safe havens along the their way to freedom. There seems to be no real evidence of this. Historians say it's most likely a folk tale derived from a particular family.
Most people love quilts. They are reminders of a time long gone. The stories that have built up around them through the years may or may not be true. Either way people love the idea of the history they represent.
To a large extent quilts shape our understanding of this country's beginnings. We imagine hard working Colonial women lovingly stitching bed covers from scraps of old clothes and remnants of discarded materials, underscoring the virtue of thrift. Many believe some quilts held secret messages during the period of slavery, offering instructions for runaway slaves hunting the Underground Railroad.
Many have a vision of housewives keeping scrap bags filled with material remnants to be turned into quilts. This fits the view of early settlers as hard workers who had to be creative with very limited resources. The truth is that the majority of early American quilts were created using whole cloth, not remnants. Textiles were imported and very expensive. It was only after the Industrial Revolution that people began quilting from scraps.
Most people assume that women made quilts in colonial times. It makes sense that they would sew quilts to keep their families warm. This apparently was a fairly rare phenomenon. Textiles were very expensive commodities during this time. Once industry technology advanced to the point that mass production brought the price of material down, it made economic sense to cut up fabric and then sew it together for another purpose.
Many people associate quilting only with women. Feminists have embraced quilting as a good example of the strength and ingenuity of women. They point to the communal aspect of quilting bees that brought women together working toward a common goal. While this is true, there are any number of talented professional male quilters. There are also male quilt pattern artists. Some of their best works hang concurrently with female quilters.
Most Americans believe that quilting is specific to the United States. It is true that Americans have their own distinct styles and traditions, but some of them can be traced back to England and France. The popular mosaic patchwork designs most are familiar with actually originated in Britain. Some of the earliest quilted textiles have been found in Mongolia. These date back to the first century.
One of the most persistent myths surrounding the American quilting phenomenon is that it played a powerful part in the Underground Railroad. The belief is that quilters sewed code into their creations to guide fugitive slaves to safe havens along the their way to freedom. There seems to be no real evidence of this. Historians say it's most likely a folk tale derived from a particular family.
Most people love quilts. They are reminders of a time long gone. The stories that have built up around them through the years may or may not be true. Either way people love the idea of the history they represent.
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