If you were to ask most people, especially those who are American, who started the art of quilting, 9 out of 10 will tell you with absolutely certainty that it was the early settlers to the United States. Indeed, they’ll go on to create images of three women, each dressed in a Brunswick, their hair underneath a cap, each sitting in a rocking chair in front of a roaring fire, stitching away.
On one side is Aunt Rebecca taking the front end, in the middle is 15-year old Wilhelmina and on the right is her mother, Sarah. Wilhelmina is new to quilting and is learning this tradition passed down from previous generations and follows queues from her mother and aunt. This is a lovely story and quite possibly a completely accurate depiction of three lovely women creating a quilt for Rebecca and Sarah’s other sister, Rachel who is expecting her fourth child.
Apart from the quaint picture this has created for you, accurate or not, relating it back to the first people to make quilts, it would be an imprecise account of events.
Quilting, although more likely for clothing rather than bedcovers, dates back to Ancient Egypt (approximately 3500 BC to 31 BC). In fact, reading an excerpt from the book Quilting by Averil Colby, which was first published in 1972, she describes what is likely the first example of quilting. She writes, “Carved ivory figure of a Pharaoh of the Egyptian First Dynasty, wearing a supposedly quilted mantle, c. 3400 B.C.”
Although there are very few written and pictorial records to determine when quilting migrated to Europe and the Americas, oral history tells us that it was likely during the crusades (between 1095 and 1291 AD). Muslims wore quilts underneath their armor, which was later copied by the Europeans.
Hanging in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England is the Tristan quilt. Estimated to have been created between 1360 and 1400 AD in Sicily, Italy, it is assumed to a bed covered and is made from linen, padded with cotton. Quilted into the cover is the story, acted out in 14 parts, illustrating the love affair between Tristan and his betrothed Isolde. If you are unfamiliar with their story, it’s one worth reading and predates the love triangle of King Arthur, his Queen Guinevere and her lover, Sir. Lancelot.
During the Renaissance (circa 14th – 16th centuries), the art of quilting made its way back to being worn as adornment. Women in Provence region of the South of France discovered its usefulness to create decorative petticoats. However, unlike the petticoats that predated this version, the Provençal ones were not to be relegated under their dresses never to be seen. They were meant to hang a little lower than a woman’s dress, and show off the intricate designs stitched into the cloth.
It wouldn’t be long before quilting became all the rage in England during the 17th century. Indeed women adorned themselves in them but they also created beautiful bed coverings. England has long been known for her cold and damp winters. Prior to having the ability to heat one’s home efficiently, wearing layers of quilted clothing in the home, along with sleeping underneath quilted blankets was not just a fashion statement, but also a necessity to stay warm.
As the British began leaving England and making their home in the new world of what is now known as America, they brought with them, among many other traditions, the art of quilting. Settling initially in what is considered to be the east coast of the United States, winters were equally bitter if not more so than those in their native England. And so, the necessity to stay warm during the coldest months required the tradition of quilting to continue.
Today, although not the tradition it once was, the art continues to be passed on through generations. The advent of mass production and the speed with which clothes and blankets can be fashioned have relegated the art to a hobby rather than a necessity. Sharing ideas, learning about this fascinating history, working on quilts with new friends and as a place to exchange patches and supplies, surely there is a quilting club near you.