Beginning
Quilting - a New Hobby or Craft?
Author: Penny Halgren
Article:
Like many other crafts and hobbies, quilting
has survived the test of time. Some quilt
historians date the beginning of quilting back
to the middle ages, when quilted clothes were
made for warriors sent to battle in cold
climates. According to history, fabrics were
layered and stitched in the same quilting
method used today to keep the layers intact and
keep the warriors warm.
You might note several
differences:
* The quilting was done
by hand (as was the construction of the
clothes) * There were no fancy designs of
either the quilting
pattern or the clothes * Probably this
clothing was made by
local tailors (who generally were men)
Quilting today is much
more fun and includes both men and women!
Because there are more than 20 million quilters
in the US, fabric stores have dedicated
sections of their shops to quilting fabric. In
many communities, it is easy to find a quilting
store or two (or three) - a shop that caters
just to quilters. And finding quilting fabric
online is getting easier by the day.
With a wide selection of
resources, the next question is whether you
will enjoy quilting. The art of quilting has
something for almost everyone.
Traditional patchwork quilts
are still very popular. They provide a
framework for design while allowing the quilter
to use fabric selection to vary the overall
look of the quilt.
Contemporary quilts, or art quilts, are also
popular, and provide a canvas for designing
quilts that has no bounds.
Many quiltmakers still rely
on hand sewing which makes quilts portable.
Your quilt project easily goes into the waiting
room of doctors and dance classes, travels with
you in the car on long trips, and turns idle
time into productive time.
Other quilters complete
their entire quilt project on the machine -
from piecing blocks to machine quilting and
finishing the binding.
Whether your quilt is made
by hand or machine, the sense of pride you feel
when your quilt is finished is at least equal
to the feeling of love, admiration and
appreciation that the person who uses or
receives the quilt feels.
And you become a thread in
the history of time - linking past generations
with the future.
Happy Quilting!
Penny Halgren www.How-to-Quilt.com
Inspiration and Education for Beginning
Quilters
www.Rag-Quilt-Instructions.com
Fast, Fun and Funky Quilts
This article courtesy of
http://www.How-to-Quilt.com.
You may freely reprint this article on your
website or in your newsletter provided this
courtesy notice and the author name and URL
remain intact.
©2006 Penny
Halgren
About the author:
Penny is a quilter of more than 24 years who
seeks to interest new quilters and provide them
with the resources necessary to create
beautiful quilts.
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