What is a quilt?  Many people believe a quilt is merely padded fabric used to make a blanket or bedspread.  However, that description really misses the bigger picture.  It is the care, craftmanship, and tradition that makes every quilt special to the quilt makers and to the quilt owners.  

 

Quilting is certainly an artform, but early on, quilts served a practical purpose.  They have created warmth, beauty, and perhaps more importantly memories.  Quilt making has a long history in America.  Its origins dates to America’s founding.  Typically, women made quilts out of scraps of fabric to make blankets for their family through the cold winters, during the colonial period.  What started as a necessity, later, became an artform as the patterns became more elaborate.  With craftmanship becoming the hallmark in the growing American Colonies, well-made quilts became sought-after items.  These quilts became handmade gifts that family members passed down.  These handmade quilts can now sell for thousands of dollars and many collators consider them priceless heirlooms.

 

Today, quilting is not a mere hobby to celebrate America’s past, but has sparked several community events and brought people together.  Many cities have very active quilt communities with weekly workshops, monthly meetings, and even yearly conventions. These quilting groups often do charitable work by making and gifting quilts to help those in need.  People who gather at these events share their extraordinary talents and create long lasting friendships.  The quilting community is quite remarkable!

 

Piecing the quilt top is really a crafting a large puzzle consisting of many pieces of fabric sewn into beautiful designs.  The quilt top can be a basic or very complex designs consisting of many different fabrics, shapes, and colored prints.  The challenge with piecing is to get the corners to meet and the points exact.  This is a difficult task even with today’s technology.  This is where the quilter’s care, skill and pride are most present.

 

Quilts can be decorative home items, such as wall hangings, placemats, table runner, or even pillow tops.  Typically, the quilt is best known as a cozy blanket, a beautiful bed cover, or spread or a warm throw.  The decorative top can be specific and made to fit any theme or color preference.  The joy for the quilter is the creative process and bringing happiness to the quilt owner.

 

An average quilt can be expensive considering the cost of the fabric used, the time constructing the top piece, and the long arm quilting process.  It is clear now that the quilt is much more than a mere blanket.

 

If you want a memorable keepsake, that is uniquely yours, consider a quilt for yourself or for a loved one to give as a special gift.  These treasures rich in tradition is sure to bring warmth and love for years to come.