Quilting is an art form. It dates back at least to the 15th century where quilts were used for trading in the wealthy parts of Asia and Europe. Quilt making didn’t reach America until the late eighteenth century. Only the wealthy had time for quilt making because most women had to spend their time making clothes for their families.

Unlike today, quilts were not made for covering the bed. Instead, they were made in order to show off the needlework of the maker so they were very decorative. Quilting changed in the mid nineteenth century though because of the industrial revolution. It brought about the making of textiles on a broad scale so women no longer had to spend their time spinning and weaving to make fabric for their family’s clothing. Because of this, quilt making spread across the United States. This also changed the style of quilting.

Because there were so many different patterns to choose from and they were relatively cheap, block quilting became more popular. In 1856, The Singer Company made it more affordable for families to buy sewing machines through installment plans so by the 1870s most households owned sewing machines. Sewing machines changed quilt making in the sense that they could make clothes for their families in less time which gave them more free time to make quilts. Sewing machines could be used to make all of the quilts or just part of the quilt.

During the Civil War, quilts were made to keep the soldiers warm and to raise money for the war. The Victorian influence was introduced to the U.S. after the War was over. Today, quilting is done worldwide.