A brief history of patchwork quilting

Early quilters can still teach us a lot about life before the sewing machine. These are some fun facts about quilting you may not have known.

• Before mass factory manufacturing, women with time free turned patchwork into a practical, productive pastime.
• They used a single shape, such as a hexagon, and wrapped their fabric over a 'paper' cut to the exact shape (called "piecing over papers"). From there, they tacked and then sewed the pieces together using a whip stitch.
• During the Great Depression, old clothing, woollen jumpers, and pieces of well-used blanket were roughly stitched together to form 'waggas'.
• These primitive bed covers, once considered a sign of poverty, are now treasured as representations of the spirit of patchwork.

• The North American style of quilting grew out of the need for warm bed covers during frigid winters.
• Dried leaves, pieces of rags, old blankets, cotton batting and other materials were used as quilt stuffing to create as much warmth as possible.
• Papers cut from newspapers and letters can still be found in some old, unfinished quilts. These have revealed the details of the life and times of early quilters.
• The pieces were sewn together with a simple running stitch.
• Designs evolved as fabric became more plentiful and more time was available.
• Women gathered for quilting bees to help speed the completion of their work. These social events became an important feature of daily life.
• Today, you can use a sewing machine for all steps in making a quilt. This technique is gaining wide acceptance, although dedicated purists still do all of their work by hand.

• Drunkard's Path is a design made up of quarter circles set into squares. The overall effect is a set of wavy lines reminiscent of the unsteady gait of an intoxicated individual.
• Shoofly is a simple nine-patch design. Blocks are separated by strips of fabric. Square patches are then placed at block intersections to add some texture to the pattern of the quilt.

The history of quilting is tied directly to the history of North America. By looking back, we can discover new things about the hobby, and the times that led to its creation.