Quilt History

The history of quilting stretches out over hundreds of years.  Find out some interesting quilting facts from other quilters.

Often, quilts told a story of the quilter's life, major event, or especially their family history. This was often the case for African American quilters in the 19th century. Many times, there was not a way to document a story or family tree, so women created story quilts to preserve their personal history. These magnificent works were passed down through the ages and family treasures. Sadly, other African American quilts, such as string quilts composed any available scrap material that was sewn into blocks, do not exist due to the extreme level of use.

A common gift for a young woman was a friendship quilt.  Each friend created her own block and signed her name.  The blocks were assembled and the quilt was quilted, producing a lovely and thoughtful gift.  Quilts were practical as much as sentimental, as a young woman often did not have a blanket or bed cover.  Assembling and quilting a friendship quilt was often a social function, allowing women to get together, gossip, and create a beautiful work of usable art.

Crazy quilts were all the rage in the Victorian era. Composed of small, irregularly shaped pieces of fabric assembled in a random manner, these quilts featured luxurious fabrics like silk, velvet, and brocade. After the pieces were assembled, the quilter would finish the quilt with lavish embroidery and other embellishments. The trend started in wealthy homes, where the women had ample time and resources to work on these time-consuming quilts made with quality materials. As time went on, women in all economic levels adapted the crazy quilt fad to fit their own lifestyles, often using more economical fabrics.