HOW QUILTS ARE MADE
It is only in comparatively recent years that many articles of wearing
apparel and house furnishings have been manufactured outside the home.
One after another, spinning, weaving, shoemaking, candlemaking,
tailoring, knitting, and similar tasks have been taken from the
homekeeper because the same articles can be made better and cheaper
elsewhere. The housewife still keeps busy, but is occupied with tasks
more to her liking. Among the few home occupations that have survived
is quilting. With many serviceable substitutes it is not really
necessary for women to make quilts now, but the strange fascination
about the work holds their interest. Quilt making has developed and
progressed during the very period when textile arts in the home have
declined under the influence of the factory. More quilts are being
made at the present time and over a wider area than ever before.
Quilts, as known and used to-day, may be divided into two general
classes, washable and non-washable, depending upon the materials of
which they are made. The methods for constructing each class are the
same, and are so very simple that it seems hardly necessary to explain
them.
The name quilt implies two or more fabrics held together with many
stitches. Webster defines a quilt as "Anything that is quilted,
especially as a quilted bedcover or a skirt worn by women; any cover
or garment made by putting wool, cotton, etc., between two cloths and
stitching them together." The verb, to quilt, he defines as "To stitch
or to sew together at frequent intervals in order to confine in place
the several layers of cloth and wadding of which a garment, comforter,
etc., may be made. To stitch or sew in lines or patterns."
The "Encyclopædia Britannica" is a little more explicit and also gives
the derivation of the name, quilt, as follows: "Probably a coverlet
for a bed consisting of a mass of feathers, down, wool, or other soft
substances, surrounded by an outer covering of linen, cloth, or other
material." In its earlier days the "quilt" was often made thick and
sewed as a form of mattress. The term was also given to a stitched,
wadded lining for body armour. "The word came into English from old
French _cuilte_. This is derived from Latin _culcitra_, a stuffed
mattress or cushion. From the form _culcitra_ came old French _cotra_,
or _coutre_ whence _coutre pointe_; this was corrupted into
counterpoint, which in turn was changed to counterpane. The word
'pane' is also from the Latin _pannus_, a piece of cloth. Thus
'counterpane,' a coverlet for a bed, and 'quilt' are by origin the
same word."
Broadly speaking, from these definitions, any article made up with an
interlining may be called a quilt. However, usage has restricted the
meaning of the word until now it is applied to a single form of bed
covering. In the United States the distinction has been carried even
farther and a quilt is understood to be a light weight, closely
stitched bedcover. When made thicker, and consequently warmer, it is
called a "comfort."
The three necessary parts of a quilt are the top, the lining or back,
and the interlining. The top, which is the important feature, unless
the quilting is to be the only ornamentation, may be a single piece of
plain cloth; or it may be pieced together from many small pieces
different in size, colour, and shape, so as to form either simple or
fanciful designs. The top may also be adorned with designs cut from
fabrics of varying colours and applied to the foundation with fancy
stitches, or it may be embroidered. The materials may be either
cotton, linen, wool, or silk. The back is usually of plain material,
which requires no description. The interlining, if the quilting is to
be close and elaborate, must be thin. If warmth is desired a thicker
interlining is used and the lines of quilting are spaced farther
apart. The design of the top and the quilting lend themselves very
readily to all manner of variations, and as a result there is an
almost infinite variety of quilts.
For convenience in making, nearly every quilt is composed of a number
of blocks of regular form and size which, when joined together, make
the body of the quilt. Each of these blocks may have a design complete
in itself, or may be only part of a large and complicated design
covering the whole top of the quilt.
[Illustration: HARRISON ROSE
This quilt is at least 75 years old. The rose is pieced
of old rose and two shades of pink; the stem and leaves
are appliqué]
[Illustration: DETAIL OF HARRISON ROSE, SHOWING
QUILTING]
[Illustration: QUILTING DESIGNS
(a) Single Diagonal Lines
(b) Double Diagonal Lines
(c) Triple Diagonal Lines]
There is a radical distinction between the verbs "to piece" and "to
patch," as used in connection with the making of quilts. In this
instance the former means to join together separate pieces of like
material to make sections or blocks that are in turn set together to
form the top of the quilt. The pieces are usually of uniform shape and
size and of contrasting colours. They are sewed together with a
running stitch, making a seam upon the wrong side. The quilt called
"Star of the East" is an excellent example of a pieced quilt in which
a number of small pieced sections are united to form a single design
that embraces the entire top of the quilt.
Patches are commonly associated with misfortune. The one who needs
them is unfortunate, and the one who has to sew them on is usually an
object of sympathy, according to a wise old saw: "A hole may be
thought to be an accident of the day, but a patch is a sure sign of
poverty." But patch quilts belong to a different class than the
patches of necessity, and are the aristocrats of the quilt family,
while the pieced quilts came under the heading of poor relations.
However, this term is a misnomer when applied to some pieced quilts.
Many of the "scrap quilts," as they are called in some localities, are
very pretty when made from gay pieces--carefully blended--of the
various shades of a single colour. The stars in the design called
"The Unknown Star" are made of a great variety of different patterns
of pink calico, yet the blending is so good that the effect is greatly
heightened by the multiplicity of shades.
Pieced quilts make a special appeal to women who delight in the
precise and accurate work necessary in their construction. For those
who enjoy making pieced quilts, there is practically no limit to the
variety of designs available, some of which are as intricate as the
choicest mosaic. The bold and rather heavy design known as "Jacob's
Ladder" is a good example of the pieced quilt. Another is the
"Feathered Star," whose lightness and delicacy make it a most charming
pattern. The pieced quilt with one large star in the centre, called by
some "The Star of the East" and by others "The Star of Bethlehem," is
a striking example of mathematical exactness in quilt piecing. In
quilts made after this pattern all the pieces must be exactly the same
size and all the seams must be the same width in order to produce a
perfect star.
The French word "appliqué" is frequently used to describe the patched
or laid-on work. There is no single word in the English language that
exactly translates "appliqué." The term "applied work" comes nearest
and is the common English term. By common usage patchwork is now
understood to mean quilt making, and while used indiscriminately for
both pieced and patched quilts, it really belongs to that type where
the design is cut from one fabric and applied upon another. "Sewed on"
and "laid quilts" are old terms given to appliqué or patched quilts.
The distinction between "pieced" and "patched" quilts is fittingly
described by Miss Bessie Daingerfield, the Kentuckian who has written
interestingly of her experiences with mountain quilt makers. She says:
"To every mountain woman her piece quilts are her daily interest, but
her patch quilts are her glory. Even in these days, you women of the
low country know a piece quilt when you see one, and doubtless you
learned to sew on a 'four-patch' square. But have you among your
treasures a patch quilt? The piece quilt, of course, is made of
scraps, and its beauty or ugliness depends upon the material and
colours that come to hand, the intricacy of the design, and one's
skill in executing it. I think much character building must be done
while hand and eye coöperate to make, for example, a star quilt with
its endless tiny points for fitting and joining, but a patch quilt
is a more ambitious affair. For this the pattern is cut from the whole
piece and appliquéd on unbleached cotton. The colours used are
commonly oil red, oil green, and a certain rather violent yellow, and
sometimes indigo blue. These and these only are considered reliable
enough for a patch quilt, which is made for the generations that come
after. The making of such a quilt is a work of oriental patience."
[Illustration: ORIGINAL ROSE DESIGN MADE IN 1840
The maker was lame, and only able to walk about in her
garden. Colours: red, green, pink, and yellow]
[Illustration: PINEAPPLE DESIGN
Colours: red and green]
"Appliqué work is thought by some to be an inferior kind of
embroidery, although it is not. It is not a lower but another kind of
needlework in which more is made of the stuff than of the stitching.
In appliqué the craft to the needleworker is not carried to its limit,
but, on the other hand, it calls for great skill in design. Effective
it must be: coarse it may be: vulgar it should not be: trivial it can
hardly be: mere prettiness is beyond its scope: but it lends itself to
dignity of design and nobility of treatment." The foregoing quotation
is from "Art in Needlework" by Louis F. Day and Mary Buckle. It is of
interest because it explains how appliqué or "laid-on" needlework
ranks with other kinds.
After all the different parts of a quilt top are either pieced or
decorated with applied designs, they are joined together with narrow
seams upon the wrong side of the quilt. If a border is included in the
design it should harmonize in colour and design with the body of the
quilt. However, in many quilts, borders seem to be "a thing apart"
from the remainder of the top and, apparently, have been added as an
afterthought to enlarge the top after the blocks had been joined. In
old quilts a border frequently consisted of simple bands of colours
similar to those found in the body of the quilt, but more often new
material entirely different in colour and quality was added when
greater size was desired. Many old quilts were three yards or more
square, generous proportions being very essential in the old days of
broad four-posters heaped with feather beds.
[Illustration: QUILTING DESIGNS
(a) Diamonds
(b) Hanging Diamonds
(c) Broken Plaid]
The top being completed, the back or lining, of the same dimensions as
the top, is next made of some light-weight material, usually white
cotton. The quilt, to quote the usual expression, is then "ready for
the frames." In earlier days the quilting frame could be found in
every home, its simple construction making this possible. In its
usual form it consists of four narrow pieces of wood, two somewhat
longer than a quilt, and two shorter, perhaps half as long, with holes
bored in the ends of each piece. These pieces are made into an oblong
frame by fastenings of bolts or pegs, and are commonly supported on
the backs of chairs. More pretentious frames are made with round
pieces for the sides, and with ends made to stand upon the floor,
about the height of a table, these ends having round holes into which
the side pieces fit. Such a frame is then self-supporting and
frequently has a cogwheel attachment to keep the sides in place and to
facilitate the rolling and unrolling of the quilt. The majority of
frames are very plain, but occasionally a diligent quilter is
encountered who has one made to suit her particular requirements, or
has received an unusually well-built one as a gift. One old frame
worthy of mention was made of cherry with elaborate scroll designed
ends, cherry side bars, and a set of cogwheels also made of cherry;
all finished and polished like a choice piece of furniture.
[Illustration: VIRGINIA ROSE
This original rose design was made by Caroline Stalnaker
of Lewis County, West Virginia. She was one of the
thirteen children of Charles Stalnaker, who was a
"rock-ribbed" Baptist, and an ardent Northern
sympathizer. During the Civil War this quilt was buried
along with the family silver and other valuables to
protect it from depredations by Confederate soldiers.
One of Caroline Stalnaker's neighbors and friends was
Stonewall Jackson.
In this quilt, as in many old ones, the border has been
omitted on the side intended to go at the head of the
bed. This quilt is still unfinished, having never been
quilted]
[Illustration: ROSE OF LEMOINE
An old and distinctly American design]
Each side bar or roll of the quilting frame is tightly wound with
cotton strips or has a piece of muslin firmly fastened to its entire
length, to which is sewed the edges of the lining, one side to each
bar. Then the extra length is rolled up on one side of the frame, and
after being tightly stretched, the wooden pieces are securely
fastened. On this stretched lining or back of the quilt, the cotton or
wool used for filling or interlining is spread very carefully and
smoothly; then with even greater care the top is put in place, its
edge pinned or basted to the edge of the lining, and drawn tightly
over the cotton. The ends of the quilt must also be stretched. This is
done by pinning pieces of muslin to the quilt and wrapping them around
the ends of the frame. Great care is required to keep all edges true
and to stretch all parts of the quilt uniformly.
Upon this smooth top the quilting is drawn, for even the most expert
quilters require outlines to quilt by. If the quilt top is light in
colour the design is drawn with faint pencil lines; if the colours are
too dark to show pencil markings, then with a chalked line. It is a
fascinating thing to children to watch the marking of a quilt with the
chalk lines. The firm cord used for this is drawn repeatedly across a
piece of chalk or through powdered starch until well coated, then held
near the quilt, and very tightly stretched, while a second person
draws it up and lets it fly back with a snap, thus making a straight
white line. How closely the lines are drawn depends wholly upon the
ambition and diligence of the quilter. The lines may be barely a
quarter of an inch apart, or may be placed only close enough together
to perform their function of keeping the interlining in place.
Patterns of quiltings are not as plentiful as designs for the
patchwork tops of quilts; only about eight or ten standard patterns
being in general use. The simplest pattern consists of "single
diagonal" lines, spaced to suit the work in hand. The lines are run
diagonally across the quilt instead of parallel with the weave, in
order that they may show to better advantage, and also because the
cloth is less apt to tear or pull apart than if the quilting lines are
run in the same direction as the threads of the fabric. The
elaboration of the "single" diagonal into sets of two or more parallel
lines, thus forming the "double" and "triple" diagonals, is the first
step toward ornamentation in quilting. A further advance is made when
the quilting lines are crossed, by means of which patterns like the
"square," "diamond," and "hanging diamond" are produced.
[Illustration: THE SUNFLOWER QUILT
Shows a realistic, bold design of vivid colouring. The
border is harmonious, suggesting a firm foundation for
the stems. The quilting in the centre is a design of
spider webs, leaves, and flowers]
Wavy lines and various arrangements of hoops, circles, and segments
of circles are among the more complex quilting patterns, which are not
particularly difficult. Plates and saucers of various diameters are
always available to serve as markers in laying out such designs. The
"pineapple," "broken plaid," and "shell" patterns are very popular,
especially with those who are more experienced in the art. One very
effective design used by many quilters is known as the "Ostrich
Feather." These so-called feathers are arranged in straight bands,
waved lines, or circles, and--when the work is well done--are very
beautiful. The "fan" and "twisted rope" patterns are familiar to the
older quilters but are not much used at the present time.
[Illustration: QUILTING DESIGNS
(a) Rope
(b) Shell
(c) Fan]
[Illustration: QUILTING DESIGNS
(a) Feathers in Bands
(b) Feathers in Waved Lines
(c) Feathers in Circles]
Frequently the quilting design follows the pieced or patched pattern
and is then very effective, especially when a floral pattern is used.
Some quilters show much originality and ingenuity in incorporating
into their work the outlines of the flowers and leaves of the quilt
design. Sometimes the pieced top is of such common material as to seem
an unworthy basis for the beautiful work of an experienced quilter,
who stitches with such patient hand, wasting, some may think, her
art upon too poor a subject. However, for the consolation of those who
consider quilting a wicked waste of time, it may be added that
nowadays expert quilters are very few indeed, and enthusiasts who have
spent weeks piecing a beautiful quilt have been known to wait a year
before being able to get it quilted by an expert in this art.
On the thin cotton quilts that have the elaborate quilting designs and
are the pride of the owner, the quilting is done with fine cotton
thread, about number seventy. The running stitch used in quilting
should be as small and even as it is possible for the quilter to make.
This is a very difficult feat to accomplish, since the quilt composed
of two thicknesses of cloth with an interlining of cotton is stretched
so tightly in the frame that it is quite difficult to push the needle
through. Also the quilter, while bending over the frame with one hand
above and one hand below, is in a somewhat unnatural strained
position. It requires much patience to acquire the knack of sitting in
the rather uncomfortable quilter's position without quickly tiring.
Skill and speed in quilting can be acquired only through much
practice. Perfect quilting cannot be turned out by a novice in the
art, no matter how skilful she may be at other kinds of needlework.
The patience and skill of the quilter are especially taxed when, in
following the vagaries of some design, she is forced to quilt lines
that extend away from her instead of toward her. As the result of many
years spent over the quilting frame, some quilters acquire an unusual
dexterity in handling the needle, and occasionally one is encountered
who can quilt as well with one hand as with the other.
[Illustration: ORIGINAL DESIGNS FROM OLD QUILTS]
[Illustration: CHARTER OAK
With the American eagle in the border]
[Illustration: PUFFED QUILT OF SILK
This is a very popular pieced quilt, composed of carefully
saved bits of silks and velvets]
Quilting is usually paid for by the amount of thread used, no
consideration being given to the amount of time expended on the work.
A spool of cotton thread, such as is found in every dry-goods store,
averaging two hundred yards to the spool, is the universal measure.
The price charged is more a matter of locality than excellence of
workmanship. A certain price will prevail in one section among all
quilters there, while in another, not far removed, two or three times
that price will be asked for the same work. When many of the old
quilts, now treasured as remembrances of our diligent and ambitious
ancestors, were made, one dollar per spool was the usual price paid
for quilting. However, as the number of quilters has decreased, the
price of quilting has increased, until as much as five dollars per
spool is now asked in some parts of the country. Even at the advanced
prices, it is exceedingly difficult to find sufficient quilters to
complete the many pieced and appliqué quilts being made.
After the space of some twelve inches, which is as far as the quilter
can reach conveniently, has been quilted, the completed portion is
rolled up on the side of the frame nearest the quilter. From the other
side another section is then unrolled and marked for quilting, and
quilted as far as the worker can reach. Thus quilting and rolling are
continued until the whole quilt is gone over, after which it is taken
from the frame and the edges neatly bound with a narrow piece of bias
material, either white or of some harmonizing colour. Since all of the
stitches are taken entirely through the quilt, the design worked into
the top is repeated on the lining, so that the back makes a white
spread of effective pattern in low relief. Very often the back or
reverse side is as beautiful as the top, and many lovely quilts have
ended their years of service as white counterpanes during that period
when the vogue for white beds reigned. Now, however, owners are glad
to display them in all their gorgeousness, and they no longer
masquerade as white bedspreads.
Occasionally the date of making and the initials of the maker are
quilted in a corner, but it is seldom that even this much is visible
to tell of the quilt's origin. How interesting it would be if some
bits of the story of the maker could have been sewed into a few of the
old quilts; for such works of art, that are so long in making, deserve
to have some facts relating to them live at least as long as they.
When a bedcover of exceptional warmth is desired, several sheets of
cotton or wool prepared for that purpose are laid one over the other
between the top and back. As this is too thick to allow a needle to be
pushed through easily, and even stitches cannot be taken, then
quilting gives way to tying or knotting. Threads of silk, cotton,
linen, or wool are drawn through with coarse needles and the ends tied
in tight, firm knots. These knots are arranged at close, regular
intervals to prevent the interlining from slipping out of place. To
this kind of covering is applied the very appropriate name of
"comfort." Holland, Germany, Switzerland, and all of Scandinavia use
quilted down and feather comforts. In fact, the down comfort has
become international in its use. It is found in almost every home in
the colder regions of Europe and America, and on chilly nights is a
comfort indeed. They are usually made in one colour and, aside from
the quilting, which is in bold, artistic designs, are without other
decoration. The quilting on down comforts is done by machines made
expressly for that work.
Quilting is not confined to the making of quilts. The petticoats worn
by the women of Holland are substantial affairs made of either woollen
cloth or satin, as the purse permits, heavily interlined and
elaborately quilted. The Dutch belle requires from four to nine of
these skirts to give her the figure typical of her country. Both the
Chinese and Japanese make frequent use of quilting in their thickly
padded coats and kimonos, and it may be that from them the early Dutch
voyagers and traders brought back the custom to Holland.
[Illustration:
(a) Design from an Old English Quilt
(b) Medallion Design
(c) Pineapple Design]
[Illustration: VARIEGATED HEXAGON, SILK
Colours: cherry, light blue, pink, black, and a yellow
centre]
[Illustration: ROMAN STRIPE, SILK]
A knowledge of the simplest form of sewing is all that is necessary to
piece quilts. The running stitch used for narrow seams is the first
stitch a beginner learns. There are other stitches needed to make
a patchwork quilt, which frequently develops into quite an elaborate
bit of needlework. The applied designs should always be neatly hemmed
to the foundation; some, however, are embroidered and the edges of the
designs finished with a buttonhole stitch, and other fancy stitches
may be introduced.
In quilt making, as in every other branch of needlework, much
experience is required to do good work. It takes much time and
practice to acquire accuracy in cutting and arranging all the
different pieces. A discriminating eye for harmonizing colours is also
a great advantage. But above all requirements the quilt maker must be
an expert needleworker, capable of making the multitude of tiny
stitches with neatness and precision if she would produce the perfect
quilt.
Appreciation of nature is an attribute of many quilt makers, as shown
by their efforts to copy various forms of leaf and flower. There are
many conventionalized floral patterns on appliqué quilts that give
evidence of much ability and originality in their construction. For
the pioneer woman there was no convenient school of design, and when
she tired of the oft-repeated quilt patterns of her neighbourhood she
turned to her garden for suggestions. The striking silhouettes of
familiar blossoms seen on many quilts are the direct result of her
nature study.