If a family quilt has ever been handed down to you from a beloved grandmother or great grandmother, you know how much people cherish their heirlooms. Over the years, myths have come to be associated with this quintessentially American art form. Historians and quilt museums have carefully researched some of the most popular myths and come up with some interesting observations.
To a large extent quilts shape our understanding of this country's beginnings. We imagine hard working Colonial women lovingly stitching bed covers from scraps of old clothes and remnants of discarded materials, underscoring the virtue of thrift. Many believe some quilts held secret messages during the period of slavery, offering instructions for runaway slaves hunting the Underground Railroad.
Scrap bags, where housewives keep bits of cloth leftover from sewing projects, may be a modern myth. This fits in with our view of colonists who had to use ingenuity and hard work to create everyday objects. The fact is that most of these early quilts were made from whole cloth. It was not your everyday fabric either. These quilts came from expensive imported fabric instead of scraps. Quilting from scraps didn't come into the picture until after the Industrial Revolution.
Most people assume that women made quilts in colonial times. It makes sense that they would sew quilts to keep their families warm. This apparently was a fairly rare phenomenon. Textiles were very expensive commodities during this time. Once industry technology advanced to the point that mass production brought the price of material down, it made economic sense to cut up fabric and then sew it together for another purpose.
Another myth still active today, is that quilting is a skill that only interests women. Even feminists have taken the art of quilting and pointed out the ways in which it demonstrates the ingenuity and practicality of early American women. The fact is that there are a number of extremely talented male quilt designers and professional quilters. They have work hanging in museums just like their female counterparts do.
Most people believe that quilting is an American phenomenon. America may produce the majority of quilts, and created distinctive traditions that were handed down from generation to generation. Some of the styles and designs were borrowed from Europe though. Mosaic patchwork design, seen in American quilts, originated in Britain. Quilted textiles dating to the first century have been found in Mongolia.
There is a persistent myth that surrounds quilts made during the Civil War. The story goes that quilters involved in assisting runaway slaves sewed secret code into their quilts in order to send messages and instructions regarding passage on the Underground Railroad. This story apparently has no basis in fact. Historians now believe it originated with an individual family.
Most people love quilts. They are reminders of a time long gone. The stories that have built up around them through the years may or may not be true. Either way people love the idea of the history they represent.
To a large extent quilts shape our understanding of this country's beginnings. We imagine hard working Colonial women lovingly stitching bed covers from scraps of old clothes and remnants of discarded materials, underscoring the virtue of thrift. Many believe some quilts held secret messages during the period of slavery, offering instructions for runaway slaves hunting the Underground Railroad.
Scrap bags, where housewives keep bits of cloth leftover from sewing projects, may be a modern myth. This fits in with our view of colonists who had to use ingenuity and hard work to create everyday objects. The fact is that most of these early quilts were made from whole cloth. It was not your everyday fabric either. These quilts came from expensive imported fabric instead of scraps. Quilting from scraps didn't come into the picture until after the Industrial Revolution.
Most people assume that women made quilts in colonial times. It makes sense that they would sew quilts to keep their families warm. This apparently was a fairly rare phenomenon. Textiles were very expensive commodities during this time. Once industry technology advanced to the point that mass production brought the price of material down, it made economic sense to cut up fabric and then sew it together for another purpose.
Another myth still active today, is that quilting is a skill that only interests women. Even feminists have taken the art of quilting and pointed out the ways in which it demonstrates the ingenuity and practicality of early American women. The fact is that there are a number of extremely talented male quilt designers and professional quilters. They have work hanging in museums just like their female counterparts do.
Most people believe that quilting is an American phenomenon. America may produce the majority of quilts, and created distinctive traditions that were handed down from generation to generation. Some of the styles and designs were borrowed from Europe though. Mosaic patchwork design, seen in American quilts, originated in Britain. Quilted textiles dating to the first century have been found in Mongolia.
There is a persistent myth that surrounds quilts made during the Civil War. The story goes that quilters involved in assisting runaway slaves sewed secret code into their quilts in order to send messages and instructions regarding passage on the Underground Railroad. This story apparently has no basis in fact. Historians now believe it originated with an individual family.
Most people love quilts. They are reminders of a time long gone. The stories that have built up around them through the years may or may not be true. Either way people love the idea of the history they represent.
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