The American Quilt: Its Historic Importance in History and Heritage

Quilts have been around for a very, very long time. Did you know, for example, that the oldest surviving completely intact quilt dates from the year 1708? Or that the oldest surviving American quilt was made in 1726?

The practice of putting together scraps of cloth and using the resulting material to make clothing and bedding probably originated thousands of years ago, when the thrifty women first realized they could make the cloth they wove go farther by piecing it. Quilting probably wasn’t far behind, as the underside of the quilted material that would have shown the seams that joined the various pieces of cloth together could be neatly hidden between the cotton or wool quilt filling and the fabric that formed the underside of the quilt.

Early American settlers had far fewer mercantile choices on this side of the Atlantic. Many towns had only a general store that carried everything from feed for farm animals to fabrics for the clothes their owners wore. Not only that, but money was scarce for many families who turned all their resources to establishing homesteads and farms; quilting quite literally became a way to “make ends meet” by sewing the ends of fabric scraps together

Sewing and quilting have also traditionally been an activity women could share, whether sewing for their own families or for a community project such as a quilt to warm the bed of a newly-wedded couple. By the early 1800s, the quilting bee had become an established tradition in the United States, and remains so today, as evidenced by projects such as the AIDS quilt.

Depressions and wars have affected quilting, but neither could put an end to the practice. During the years between the 1929 Depression and World War II, quilts were as often made from flour, sugar and feed sacks as from scraps of material purchased for clothing—and though the prosperity of the post WW II years drew people to ready made clothes racks and away from home sewing, quilting remains a popular activity today, especially in the southern United States.

Today, quilts remain a very popular choice in home and bedroom decor. Perhaps it is the coziness and cottage feel that evokes a simpler time that appeals to homeowners. It may be the charm and personality that a quilt lends to a bedroom that no other single decorator item or bedding can. Whatever the reason, quilting in America and the use of heirloom quality quilts are still prevalent in bedrooms across America.