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A Short History of Buttons
Thu 25 Sep 2008
Buttons are used extensively as embellishments on quilts and wearable art, but because of their rather mundane position in the quilting and sewing world the average person is not aware of their interesting beginnings. Buttons have been made of many different materials. As might be expected, bone was one of the earliest substances used. Button-shaped objects were made as early as the Stone Age. In 3,000 BC Phoenician men wore button-shaped pendants made of bone. Objects, which may have been buttons, have been found in Egyptian tombs dating from the 6th Dynasty, circa 2,800 BC. Antler and horn buttons have ... Read More...
Broderie Perse
Thu 25 Sep 2008
I can’t pronounce it but I love these beautiful quilts. The term is a French one meaning Persian embroidery. So how did it become the name of a quilting technique? It’s a long story. Chintz was first imported to England in the early 1600s from India. The fabrics were not popular until the Indian manufacturers began designing prints based on favorite themes from English art such as flowers and birds. Later, by the 1700s, when Oriental themes became popular these were added to the existing designs making wonderfully fanciful fabrics which were instantly popular. The name remained, possibly because the ... Read More...
Very Short History of Quilting
Wed 24 Sep 2008
Quilting, the act of sewing two pieces of fabric together with some padding in between, has been around for at least 6,000 years. The basic idea was, and still is, to cover the three layers with a sufficient number of stitches to have the effect of a single, rather dense piece of fabric. This three-layer “sandwich” has been used for armor, outer garments for warmth, mattresses, bedcovers and wall hangings for both warmth and decoration, and even floor coverings. The noun quilt derives from the Latin culcita or culcitra meaning a sack, mattress or cushion filled with a stuffing. That ... Read More...
A Pattern Timeline
Wed 24 Sep 2008
I have always loved history so that love naturally moved over to join seamlessly with my love of quilting. (Sorry about the bad pun, I just couldn’t resist, but I knew you would understand.) There are many aspects of history to be found in a quilt such as the fabric used in the quilt, the style of the quilt, and the pattern used in the quilt. These aspects are all important, particularly if you are going to make a reproduction quilt. With all the reproduction fabric from all periods of quilt history being produced today, making a reproduction quilt is ... Read More...
A Tidbit of History about Thread
Mon 22 Sep 2008
from The Dictionary of Needlework, published in 1882: In the manufacture of thread, several strands are doubled and twisted in a frame, the yarn being moistened with a paste of starch, which has been passed over flannel, to abosrb the superfluous moisture. The yarns are then brought together by rollers, slightly compressed, and twisted together; and the thread is made up in hanks, skeins, balls, or wound on reels. A yard measure of cotton Sewing Thread, contains 54 inches; of the real Linen Thread, 90 inches; of Worsted, 35 inches. Silk Sewing Thread is usually twisted in lengths of from ... Read More...
Did You Know That the Sun Could Create Beautiful Fabric?
Thu 11 Sep 2008
Could a gasket make a beautiful fabric design? Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? And maybe a gasket is a silly example, but how about the grill from a barbeque? Maybe some feathers, leaves, shafts of wheat, or even a design made with masking tape. Pretty much anything will do, although the results are better if the object is flat and will hold still for 10-15 minutes. So, for example, a live halibut, although flat, probably wouldn't be a good choice for this kind of art. But, back to our other examples - suppose you took 1/2" wide masking tape and made ... Read More...
How Sewing Needles Are Made
Thu 11 Sep 2008
Was the invention of the wheel really what changed the future of mankind? Consider this. The man who invented the wheel was wearing animal skins that had been sewn together with a needle. Being able to sew skins together to craft clothing for warmth and protection enabled Stone Age men to remain in northern areas of the globe, thus breaking away from their nomadic existence. The needle has always been a simple tool. Whether it is made of bone or metal, the concept remains the same - a pointed instrument that pulls a thread through some type of material. The ... Read More...
Old Doll Quilts
Thu 11 Sep 2008
Did you know that often girls two hundred years ago made their first quilt by the time they were seven years old? And frequently that first quilt might have been made for their doll. Yes, doll quilts. While charming in their own right, they are difficult to find because during the period they were made, they were considered unimportant and insignificant. Many were made from leftovers and got hard use from the little girls who owned them. Quilts made by young girls are likely to reflect their lack of refined skills in hand stitching. Girls in the early nineteenth century ... Read More...
The Origin of Quilt Block Names
Thu 11 Sep 2008
Have you ever wondered how quilt blocks are named? As you look through a book with hundreds of quilt blocks, several interesting things pop up. You will probably discover quilt blocks with a different design while having the same name. Likewise, you will find quilt blocks that look the same yet have different names. How did this happen? And what is the inspiration for naming quilt blocks in the first place? A look at history and understanding life in the early years of America are particularly useful to answer these questions. Since early Americans were driven from England to gain ... Read More...
A Tidbit of Quilting History
Sun 07 Sep 2008
Quilting began in America from a shortage of fabric and the ingenuity of the early settlers. Women would turn worn-out clothes, blankets, curtains, towels, and sheets into works of art to keep their families warm during the cold New England winters. As with so many other community events, such as building homes and barns, sharing the harvests, and celebrating, quilting became an activity that brought families together for the common good. Women would gather, often weekly, to sew. Fabric, patterns, and labor were shared. Frequently, everyone in the group would work on the same quilt so it could be finished ... Read More...
Patchwork Quilting - An Excellent Home Business
Sun 07 Sep 2008
Wherever in the world you go you will find patchwork quilting to be a great hit. Though the basic concept was popularized by the Amish somewhere around the 17th century, the quilt pattern of sewing has been around for many thousands of years, right from the time of the Egyptians. Today, the making of the quilts is not only considered a highly satisfying hobby, but also as a medium to earn a comfortable income through a home based business. No matter where you live, whether in Europe, Asia or North America, you will likely fall in love with a patchwork ... Read More...
Discover the Art of Patchwork Quilting
Sun 07 Sep 2008
The history of Patchwork Quilting dates back to the era of the Pharaohs where these samples have been found on several tombs. Even the armors that they used were made of quilted fabrics. You can find some amazing 17th century quilted bedcovers. Several immigrants from Europe took this wonderful art of making quilts with scraps popularly called Patchwork Quilting to America leading to exchange of designs, ideas and fabrics. One excellent example is the Log Cabin Quilt Design which originated in Ireland where small pieces of fabrics were used to create something useful and artistic. The Significance of Patchwork Quilting ... Read More...
Do You Know the History of the Quilt?
Sun 07 Sep 2008
Quilting was practiced in ancient Egyptian times and evidences have been found in the tombs of the Pharaohs. Quilting was a form of sewing various pieces of fabric to make a single item of clothing which later became objects of decoration. Sewing blocks of fabrics together to make quilts also called patchwork quilting developed later and became dominant during the middle of the 19th century. Quilting consisted of stitching of three layers of fabrics - the top of the quilt, the padding in the middle and the backing. Types of Quilts The first type of quilt is the "White Cloth ... Read More...
Amish Quilting Was Once Thought Revolutionary
Sun 07 Sep 2008
When you think of Amish people, you think of horse-drawn buggies, plain clothes, barn raisings, farms and quilts. However, the Amish came rather late to the quilt making. Long after their neighbors were piecing quilts the Amish still used the old German featherbeds and coverlets. There was a good reason for this. Amish communities were formed so that the members could remain apart from the temptations of the modern world. At this time, quilts were considered something new and modern. But what is considered 'modern' changes over the years. The Amish do gradually make changes as well, but often a ... Read More...