Posted 11/16/2008 @ 12:36:56 pm by igoquilting.com

American quilting traditions are categorized by century, decade, region, state, eras and by ethnicity. However quilts are viewed, they are a historical and personal kaleidoscope of stories stitch by stitch.

Early 19th century quilts are scarce, as only the wealthy could afford expensive and imported materials from Europe, so few quilts were made. Later in the century, excluding in the Civil War, cotton was abundant and affordable. Quilts of the era notably were assembled with complex quilting stitches. Appliqués of favor were oak leaves, four patch graphicals, flowers and other patchwork variations.

After the Civil War, log cabin and crazy quilts hit the quilt circuits, and were made of silk and cotton. The crazy quilt era was show-off time for women with embroidery skills. Quilt tops were bedazzled with beautiful embroider stitching.

At the brink of the 1900s, cotton was bountiful, but quilts were still made from scrap materials or old clothing. Men’s shirts provided light backgrounds that contrasted with very dark-colored cottons like burgundy, navy, black and dark green. Predominant in the early 1900s were madder prints and fabric with tiny conversational figures. Patterns of popularity were the prairie star, criss cross, double nine patch, Philadelphia pavement, and so many others.

The 19th century brought patterns into popularity, but the 20th century pinnacled the use of them. Publication sources commercialized original and old standby designs into kits containing the pattern, fabric, and other materials. Quilt historians later had difficulties finding and recording the quilt kit frenzy. Then, farther into the 1900s, crazy quilts morphed to warm utility blankets of wool and upholstery material.

Near 1978, the Library of Congress's American Folklife Center launched a Folklife Project seeking authentic culture in the Blue Ridge Area; the phenomenon of quilting was stumbled upon just before major technique changes took hold.

Tags: ...