Quilting: A Rich History

I do not claim to be a historian of quilts, though my interest and appreciation run decades long. I am a noticer of quilts throughout time. The first quilts that probably drew my attention were those sewn by the Amish. Truly, Amish quilts are made of simple geometry and rich solid colors, much like their clothing. (Sidenote: Many of the quilts we see in our travels through Amish areas of the United States are often not those quilts. They are instead lovely quilts made from traditional quilt patterns.)

I began my quilting journey by taking a class that introduced samples of a variety of quilt blocks: Dresden Plate, pinwheel, nine patch, applique and others. This quilt lived for decades as a throw in our family room and has been unraveling in my son’s truck 40 years after it was pieced together. I’ve made baby quilts, appliqued many designs on quilts, pillows, placemats, table runners, baby bibs and more. I’ve enjoyed the fruits of my labor and given away much more than I have kept for myself. In most cases I’ve borrowed designs or used pre-existing patterns. In some, I’ve designed my own variation. Let’s face it, how many ways can fabric be put together? More than we can count.