About Handmade Quilts: Patchwork

Patchwork quilts have been around since the mid 1700's and have grown very popular in the eastern states. Most of these quilts use a special type of sewing, which involves crafting each piece of fabric separately. Most of the designs are geometric in pattern.

Homemade Patchwork Quilt History

In the eastern states and the Midwest, women in the 1700’s and 1800’s grew fond of piecing together quilts to keep their beds toasty warm. They soon made it a pastime and it was common to find woman together in a home, talking and sewing patchwork quilts. There was soon quilting contests in towns to name the master quilter of the city. Most of these quilts in fact reflected a woman’s life. She would sew on patterns of floral to signify her time in the garden. Some quilt on figures of children to indicate their family.

Patchwork Quilts Today

Most patchwork quilts styled in a traditional sense are made by the Amish people. They still follow the same tradition of making patchwork that point toward their lives with each section. The Amish are known for their unique work of using geometric designs mixed with floral and decorated lining. They still use quilting as a form of leisure but they have a practical purpose of giving warmth in cooler seasons as well.

Patchwork Designs and Layers

These quilts are known for their geometric pattern, but some are more ingenious and others can even be formal. The most common are pieced together with random bits of fabric scraps, which gives them that vintage appeal. The first layer of a patchwork quilt is the insulation, which is the filling that gives off warmth. The second layer is what holds the quilt together around the edges, and the final layer is the patchwork pieces themselves.

Homemade patchwork quilts are a part of American history not often spoke about. It’s interesting to know that American has a strong backbone when it comes to all forms of expression.