Most quilts are prize possessions in families. They are handed down from generation to generation. If you are lucky enough to be the recipient of one of these treasures you know how unique and valuable they are. There are myths that surround this inherently American craft. Quilt museums and historians have done research to discover the truth behind some of the most popular myths.
Quilts are one way to get an intimate glimpse into the country's early years. We have mental pictures of Colonial housewives lovingly sewing bed covers out of old scraps saved from former projects. It confirms our belief that early settlers didn't waste what little they had. There is a widely held belief that quilters helped runaway slaves by encrypting codes into their quilts that gave instructions for getting to the Underground Railroad.
Scrap bags, where housewives keep bits of cloth leftover from sewing projects, may be a modern myth. This fits in with our view of colonists who had to use ingenuity and hard work to create everyday objects. The fact is that most of these early quilts were made from whole cloth. It was not your everyday fabric either. These quilts came from expensive imported fabric instead of scraps. Quilting from scraps didn't come into the picture until after the Industrial Revolution.
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.
Quilts become family treasures. They have a history all their own. The most famous myths are sometimes true and sometimes not. Either way families will continue to cherish quilts and pass them on to new generations.
Quilts are one way to get an intimate glimpse into the country's early years. We have mental pictures of Colonial housewives lovingly sewing bed covers out of old scraps saved from former projects. It confirms our belief that early settlers didn't waste what little they had. There is a widely held belief that quilters helped runaway slaves by encrypting codes into their quilts that gave instructions for getting to the Underground Railroad.
Scrap bags, where housewives keep bits of cloth leftover from sewing projects, may be a modern myth. This fits in with our view of colonists who had to use ingenuity and hard work to create everyday objects. The fact is that most of these early quilts were made from whole cloth. It was not your everyday fabric either. These quilts came from expensive imported fabric instead of scraps. Quilting from scraps didn't come into the picture until after the Industrial Revolution.
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.
Quilts become family treasures. They have a history all their own. The most famous myths are sometimes true and sometimes not. Either way families will continue to cherish quilts and pass them on to new generations.
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