Only a Quilter would let three later-arriving patients go ahead of her at the doctor's office because she is on the verge of completing a block.

 

Only a Quilter would rush to finish a gift quilt.  Not so it's done in time for the recipient's birthday, but so it's done in time for Show and Tell!!

 

Only a Quilter will buy more than she'll ever need of one fabric for her stash, but slightly less than is needed of another fabric to complete a project.

 

Only a Quilter would give a quilt book to the guild auction then bid on it to get it back.

 

The following was in the Patchwords newsletter over a period of seven months and I thought it would be nice in our newsletter.  The Patchwords is the newsletter for the St. Andrew Bay Quilters Guild in Panama City, Florida.  I belong to this guild during the winter months.   I have received an okay to republish in our newsletter.

quiltDonalyn.

 

MYTH or FACT?

 

MYTH # 1 - QUILTING WAS A COMMON TASK IN A WOMAN'S LIFE IN COLONIAL AMERICA.

 

While quilting was done by those who could afford to buy imported fabric, ordinary women in early America spent their days spinning, weaving and sewing just to keep their families in clothing.  It wasn't until production of affordable textiles by 1840 that more women found time to quilt.

  

MYTH # 2 - QUILTING ORGINATED IN EARLY AMERICA AND IS PURELY AN AMERICAN CRAFT

 

Quilting has a long history back to the time of ancient Egypt and earlier.  Quilted clothing has been worn for centuries.  Decorative quilted petticoats were worn during the 17th century in Europe, Great Britain, American and beyond.  Even today quilting is popular in countries all over the world.

 

MYTH # 3 - PIECING AND QUILTING BY HAND HAS ALWAYS BEEN PRIZED OVER USING A SEWING MACHINE.

 

When the sewing machine became available the possession of one was quite a status symbol.  Piecing was often done by machine and a few women even machine stitched their quilting or appliqué.  These visible stitches advertised that the quilter was a proud owner of a sewing machine.  Sewing the binding by machine was another way to show off the machine stitching.

 

MYTH # 4 - WOMEN OF THE PAST USED SCRAPS FOR QUILTING AS A FRUGAL MEASURE

 

Although some quilters used scraps from outgrown clothing in their quilts others bought fabric specifically for the quilts they made.  Other time quilts were made with a combination of both.  Fawn Valentine points out in her book, West Virginia Quilts and Quiltmakers, "Although imaginative lore spinners claim that patchwork quilts themselves are made with worn-out cloth is was typically the good pieces (not the worn) that were cut and stitched into patchwork. It would be counter-productive to spend time sewing fabric that was already worn out."  Of course scraps left over after making garments were used in scrap quilts much as we use left over scraps from our quilting projects today when we want a scrappy look.  The frugality theory also implies that quilt making was a necessary drudgery.  Instead we find that most women enjoyed the creativity involved in making a quilt whether with new fabric or scraps.  Although quick and simple quilts were made for everyday use many quilts were far too intricate in the piecing and quilting to have made just the necessity.

 

MYTH # 5 - BEFORE ELECTRICITY WOMEN TYPICALLY QUILTED IN THE EVENING BY THE FIRESIDE.

 

It was difficult to do fine stitching in poor light.  Most quilting was done in the daylight, outside if possible.  A good deal of quilting was done in the summer due to longer daylight hours.  Farm women may have been too busy to quilt during planting and harvest time but they quilted when they could find the time in the lighter months. Sometimes the quilting frame was brought outdoors in good weather so the quilters could enjoy the good light.

 

MYTH # 6 - PIONEER WOMEN PIECED AND QUILTED ON THEIR LONG JOURNEY WEST.

 

Rarely did a women work on a quilt while migrating westward.  Because everyone, including women and children, walked most of the way quilt making was pretty much impossible during the day.  Even if one were traveling in the wagon the ride was too rough for fine sewing.  In the evening the light was poor and knitting was preferred as it could be done with little light.

 

MYTH # 7 - MISTAKES IN ANTIQUE QUILTS WERE MADE ON PURPOSE TO DEMONSTRATE HUMILITY.

 

This myth has various possible origins.  One is from the Greek legend of Arachne the weaver.  Another is found in Navajo weaving practices.  Most likely the quilting version of this myth came from the belief that Amish and Mennonite women put a mistake in each quilt because only God is perfect therefore it would be prideful to make a perfect quilt.  Though some purposeful mistakes may have been for religious reasons it appears for others it was more a matter of superstition.  In reality all quilters make mistakes, it's almost impossible to make a perfect quilt. As making a purposeful mistake was never a common practice a mistake found in an antique quilt is unlikely to be a purposeful one

 

MYTH # 8 -  THE PRESENCE OF COTTON SEEDS IN BATTING INDICATES AN ANTIQUE QUILT

 

Cotton seeds are knobby and about the size of a small pea so they were rarely missed even when women handpicked the seeds from the cotton  to be used for batting. What people mistakenly think of as cottonseeds is debris from cotton hulls.  Debris is  even found in some modern cotton batting so it would in no way indicate a vintage or antique quilt.

 

©  2003 Anne Johnson  Reprinted by permission 2005.

There are 3 kinds of people in the world:

1. People Who Make Things Happen

2. People Who Watch What Happens

3. People Who Wonder "What Happened?"

...Floyd Skelton with his permission