Quilting may not be for everyone but it is a good hobby to take up. Aside from bringing out your creativity, quilting is a nice way to meet people who share the same interests. A quilting circle or a quilting bee brings these people together to make quilts, share what they know and have fun.
No one knows where quilting originated but it was practiced during the Crusades to keep soldiers warm and protect their skin from chafing caused by the heavy armor they wore. Sculptures from ancient Egypt also show that quilts were commonly used at that time.
One of the prime movers of quilting was Harriet Powers, an African-American slave who lived in Georgia. Powers used quilts to record local legends, Bible stories and astronomical events. Sadly, only two of her quilts have survived - Bible Quilt 1886 and Pictorial Quilt 1898.
Wikipedia shows images of both the 1886 Bible Quilt and the 1898 Pictorial Quilt. Each quilt provides a depiction of various scenes from the Bible including figures and celestial occurrences. Powers made both quilts by hand and machine using techniques called applique and piecework. Each is a good demonstration of the African and African-American influences on quilting.
In quilting, two or more layers of material are joined together to make a quilt. Most quilts have three layers - the top fabric or quilt top, batting or insulating material and backing material. These are binded by hand or with the help of a sewing machine. In hand quilting, a needle and thread are used to sew a running stitch by hand across the area to be quilted. Machine quilting utilizes a sewing or longarm machine to bind the layers together.
"Quilting can be elaborately decorative, comprising stitching fashioned into complex designs and patterns. The quilter may choose to emphasize and add to the richness of the quilting by using threads that are multicolored and/or metallic or that contrast highly to the fabric. Conversely, the quilter may choose to make the quilting disappear, using 'invisible' nylon or polyester thread and stitching in the ditch (in the seam line)," explains Wikipedia.
Perhaps the best way to learn about quilting is to immerse yourself in it by join a quilting circle. Other sources of information are quilting books. The Internet is also a treasure trove of quilting patterns, tips and guides. With a little research, you can easily find quilting videos, e-books and podcasts that can make you a better quilter.
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