QUILTING

process of stitching together two layers of fabric, usually with a soft, thick substance placed between them. The layer of wool, cotton, or other stuffing provides insulation; the stitching keeps the stuffing evenly distributed and also provides opportunity for artistic expression in both design and execution. Quilting has long been used for clothing in many parts of the world, especially in China, India, Iran, the Middle East, and the Muslim regions of Africa. It was also used for military doublets worn under armour, and it sometimes provided a less expensive substitute for armour. In Europe quilting, particularly of bedcovers (quilts), attained the status of a minor art in the 14th century, reaching a high degree of popularity from the 17th through the 19th century. Quilting reached its fullest development in North America, where it was popularly used for petticoats and comforters. Those produced in the early 18th century imitated English and Dutch designs, but by the end of the century the American quilt had taken on many new and distinctive features. First from necessity and later from choice, the outer layers of quilts were made of coloured fabrics appliqud to a white muslin ground or joined together as patchwork; in some instances the two techniques were combined in one quilt. The design was completed by the quilting itself, which often picked up and echoed the shape of the patchwork or appliqu pattern. Although a few examples can be found in other countries, this style is of American origin and was used more extensively there than elsewhere. The work of quilting a large bedcover, possibly measuring as much as 10 feet (3 metres) square, was usually done on a frame, which could be as simple as two smooth poles or long bars of wood set on four chairs. Each sidebar of the quilting frame was covered with fabric to which the edges of the quilt lining were sewn, one side to each bar. The cotton or wool fibres used for the stuffing were spread smoothly and evenly on the stretched lining. Then the top was placed in position and its edge was pinned or basted to the edge of the lining, drawing it tightly over the fibre filling. The quilting pattern was marked on the top with either a tracing wheel and chalk, a pencil, or the pressure of the needle marking an indentation around a rigid pattern of wood. The running stitch was most commonly used for the quilting. The invention of the sewing machine in mid-19th century was quickly followed by a series of attachments for machine-stitched quilting. Utilitarian items were quilted in this manner, but stitching by machine did not lend itself to artistic work.