A 2018 Beginner's Guide to Handmade Quilts

Handmade quilts are an item that have stood the test of time and modernity.

All around us we see a culture that wants things mass produced, made quickly and cheaply, and then thrown out when they have accomplished their role and are no longer worth anything.

But not the handmade quilt.

It is a known fact that buying a handmade quilt in which care, quality, and time has been dedicated is something of value.  The craftsmanship, the love, and the artistic patterns of the country quilt play a vital role in their value and stories that will be passed on for generations.

Another image that many people picture when they hear “handmade quilt” is a room full of Amish ladies, possibly in Lancaster County, PA, or in Holmes County, OH; talking to each other and laughing as they put together another patterned masterpiece.

Working together to put together a single unique masterpiece that will be sold at the local quilt shop, or possibly a benefit auction.

This picture is quite different from the thunder of machinery that churns out mass-produced blankets and products that you can purchase at your local Wal-Mart or Target.

But where has this quilting tradition come from?  

Why is each quilt’s history and story so unique?

And why have handmade quilts been able to stand the test of time?

In order to answer these questions, let’s take a look at a brief history of quilts, the main styles of quilts, and how quilts have stood the test of time.

Earliest quilts to the colonial times

The word “quilt” comes from the Latin term “culcita” which means a “stuffed sack.”  By basic definition it is simply 2 layers of fabric sewn together with some kind of soft substance between them.    

Quilting appears to have been introduced into Europe when the Crusaders used a quilted fabric with their armor.  Before that, traces of quilting have been found in early civilizations such as Egypt.

In American colonial times, it is interesting to note that handmade quilts were considered a luxury item.  

Due to the women being kept busy doing all the housework, including making and preserving all the food, creating all their clothing, gardening, etc., there was little time to create handmade quilt masterpieces.

Instead, many of them were more quickly ready to purchase a mass-produced blanket made in an English or American textile factory.  After a blanket was purchased, it was treated with care and patched when needed so that time and money could be spent on much more valuable items in the home.

Late 1700’s and 1800’s:  the birth of different quilt styles

As the Industrial Revolution made progress, paired with an ever-increasing agricultural presence of the United States, cloth and textiles became cheaper.  

The introduction of the personal sewing machine also made sewing and quilting faster and cheaper, which in turn made the homemade quilt more valuable.

This mass production allowed more American women the liberty and time to create.  As a result, handmade quilts became more popular and present in homes.

As handmade quilts became more present in the culture and home, a few different styles began to define the wealth and time it took to make a quilt.

Wholecloth quilts

Wholecloth quilts were usually made from a single piece of glazed wool, and they often came in bold colors.  The design on the quilt was then made by a skilled needleworker who would be able to stitch a design into the quilt.

While wholecloth quilts are often not as bright or vibrant as some other styles, the intricate patterns and designs on them, especially when done with care by hand, give them value that few other quilts can match.

Broderie Perse quilts

The broderie perse quilts started the same way the wholecloth quilts did:  with a single piece of fabric. However, the design on these quilts was made by attaching different kinds of fabric to the quilt.

This allowed the broderie perse quilt to have different colors and shapes worked into the quilt design.  

This design is thought to have originated in India before it came to Europe.  Some consider it an early form of puzzle making due to the different shapes needing to be carefully arranged and sewed onto the fabric.  

Medallion quilts

The medallion quilt was focused around a center image or design.  The quilt’s center would have a piece of fabric representing an image, animal, or some other object.

Spanning out of the quilt’s center image would be several borders going to the edge of the quilt.  These borders could vary in size, color, and shape.

The beauty of the medallion quilt is that it not only shows a beautiful pattern, but it also allows the designer to create a central image in the quilt design.

Patchwork quilt

A patchwork quilt, also referred to as a piecework quilt, is created in the way that the name indicates:  using patches or pieces.

Instead of starting with a single piece of fabric like many of the other designs, the handmade patchwork quilt is created by sewing multiple pieces of fabric together to make the top layer.

Interestingly enough, handmade patchwork quilts were popular during harder times in American history, particularly during the Great Depression.  Mothers and seamstresses would use old scraps of fabric to create the patchwork design in order to fully use every piece of fabric that they were able to.

Patchwork quilts are often very colorful and unique because they are made of many individual pieces of fabric that often vary in color and design.

Quilting in the 1900’s to today

During WW1 and WW2, quilting was encouraged for those who had the time and resources.  The government actually encourage creating new quilts at home or patching existing blankets, as the goal was to send all new blankets to Europe to support the soldiers.

After WW2, the handmade quilt began taking on its identity as a valuable piece of history from times past.  This became especially noticed during the United States’ Bicentennial celebration in 1976.

Today, the handmade quilt is used to show the value of a rich history of self-sufficiency, creativity, and the American legacy.   

Today, many view the Amish as being the best and most unique proponent of the handmade quilt.  Their demonstration of honoring the long history of American craft is recognized worldwide as many visit their shops from all parts of the world.  

If you visit the Amish quilt shops of Holmes County, OH, or Lancaster County, PA; you will quickly realize the value, beauty, and timelessness of the handmade quilts for sale along the many Amish shops and stores.

The handmade quilt’s test of time and value

If forms of quilting have been around for thousands of years, then why has it not been outgrown with technology?

Why have modern sewing machines not completely stamped out the market for handmade quilts?

Why are country quilts for sale still valuable today and sought after?

In order to understand the value and true beauty behind these country quilts, we need to look at 4 particular traits that these quilts can claim that machine-made quilts cannot.

American culture

As we mentioned earlier, the handmade quilt is a bold statement to the early values of American culture, particularly during difficult times.

Every time the United States went through a difficult time or recession, machinery in factories would begin to quieten as people lost their jobs and income.  As a result, many people turned to patches and hand making and stitching everything they could to save money and material.

Handmade quilts were a large part of this.

Or during war times, when machine-made quilts were used for war efforts, the handmade quilt again was a symbol of Americans turning to their own hands in order to support their country.

The handmade quilt also symbolizes the art of community and teamwork that many people view as missing in today’s culture.  Groups of people talking together as they work on a specific quilting project is a stark contrast to many parties today where the focus is a sporting event or the latest TV drama.

Family heritage

Because these quilts can be easily patched and are usually durable if handled with care, many handmade quilts have been passed on down generations.  

As a result, in many families, quilts have become a piece of their family tradition and legacy, very similar to the family Bible that continues to be passed on to children.  

When a blanket can be purchased at the local store where hundreds of the same style can be purchased, there is little value in the purchase besides the fact that it keeps you warm.  

However, when a handmade quilt is purchased, it is possible that no other quilt pattern exists exactly like it.  

In that way it is unique, and it holds its value as it is passed on to later generations and becomes a part of the family heritage.

Workmanship value

As humans, we understand that there is often a direct correlation between the quality of something and its price:  cheaper materials and quality usually means a cheaper price.

Handmade quilts are no different.

In fact, quilts showing unique country styles or patterns may demonstrate this rule better than most things in our culture today.

Because a handmade quilt takes significant time to develop the pattern, cut out or stitch in the design, and then put the complete quilt pattern “puzzle” together, they come with a high workmanship value.

Having something in your home that is unique, handmade, and yet very practical is the culmination of today’s handmade quilt.

Unique designs

Handmade quilt patterns are an art form.

Someone thinks of each design, gathers the colors and shapes to make it work, and then sews all the pieces together into a masterpiece.

A one-of-a-kind unique masterpiece.

We’ve already mentioned several times that a handmade quilt created by a group of seamstresses will be unique.  You don’t walk into a country quilt shop and find dozens of handmade quilts that are identical.

However, you can walk into your local big-brand store and fine hundreds of comforters or quilts that are almost identical because they were mass-produced by machinery.

This unique design is really what makes a quilt similar to a collector’s item and something that can be passed down through generations as a family legacy.

When we look at these 4 components together, it becomes clear why the handmade country quilt has become such a popular item in today’s mass-producing society.

Our culture invites us to be buying as much stuff as we can for as cheaply as we can.  As a result we become surrounded with stuff in our homes and garages that breaks easily and is soon useless or thrown out.

In this culture the handmade quilt stands out with its unique quilt patterns, integrity, value, and historical legacy.

It invites us to enter a simpler time.  

A time when the little things of life and beauty were things to be admired.  

A time when quality was more important than saving the quick dollar. A time that called us to be unique instead of part of the cookie-cutter culture around us.

A time of wonder, quality, and art.

There are still handmade quilts being developed today, and you can find many of these handmade quilts for sale in different parts of the United States as well as online.

So what has been your experience with handmade quilts?

We would love to hear your stories or traditions with a quilt in your family.  Leave a comment below on how handmade quilts have affected your family legacy!

And if you don’t have story to share, then let us know what your favorite design is and why.  We love hearing different peoples’ views on quilt styles and designs!

If you are ready to begin your family legacy, or add to your quilt collection, then we invite you to visit Nan’s Quilt Shop today!