Learning about What Is A Traditional Quilt will help you to know more about quilts and the method you’re using to make yours.
When you love to sew, you might get interested to make your first quilt, but with so many beautiful Quilt patterns, it might be hard for you to pick one and you might want to learn more about what is the quilt design and if is a traditional quilt or not.
Quilts have been made by women first and today men and women both are interested on making them, and both share amazing quilt patterns that invite us all to try to make one for our family.
What Is A Traditional Quilt
A Quilt definition, we all can find that a quilt is a multilayered textile, that is made by two layers of fabric on the top and on the bottom, with one layer of batting in the middle and stitched or knotted together to keep the three layers of textiles together.
In my mind, I can picture women from early times, finding a way to make something that will keep themselves and their family members warm during cool nights. They might have found that stitching together more than one layer of textile will help them to keep warm during the long winter cool nights.
In those times, they could not go to the fabric store and get the fabric needed to make a quilt, for this reason as they used also to sew their own clothing, they started to keep any piece of fabric left, some of them started to stitch those pieces of fabric together and this is how they started to make a quilt block.
In early times women used to live far from each other, so each one of them started to make their own Quilt block patterns and they named these blocks with their names or something related on why they made each block.
When they met for any reason, (going to the market or going to church) they started to exchange between them pieces of clothing and sharing what quilt blocks they have made. This way is how some Quilt Block Patterns were know by more quilters.
Today we all are looking to have access to books and the internet to learn more about quilts and quilt blocks pattern.
Traditional Quilt Layout
A traditional Quilt Layout is made by one quilt block pattern made a number of times, and stitched together with sashing between the blocks.
It will be easy for you to find many good examples of traditional quilts with this layout, some might have one or two different quilt block patters, and some will have the simple sashing between the quilt blocks and some will get more creative and the sashing can be wider and made of two or three strips of fabric.
You can also find some sashing can have a star where the blocks meet.
Traditional Quilt Blocks
When you think about the first quilts made, you might get the idea of quilts made with squares of fabric, but there is a good number of traditional Quilt Blocks well-known by any quilter today.
Log Cabin – A block is made with a small square of fabric in the center and strips of fabric same width and with different lengths are stitched around the square, until the block reaches the size wanted.
Star Quilt Block – Many of these blocks are made stitching together triangles of fabric in two different colors, but these blocks can be also made with 3 or 4 different colors, which helps the quilter to make these blocks with the fabric they have at home.
What Fabric Is Used To Make A Traditional Quilt
A traditional Quilt is made with cotton fabric only, in different colors and patterns or prints, there are many cotton fabrics where you can choose the ones to use on your next quilt, as these cotton fabrics are made for quilts making.
The use of cotton fabric made for quilts making, will help you to make accurate cuts on the fabric that will help you to stitch on the small pieces of fabric to make any pattern you want to make.
When the time to find a fabric for the back when making a traditional quilt, you need to keep in mind that these quilts were made with a single piece of fabric, most of the times in white, off-white or light beige.
Times have changed, and we are lucky to find many options of fabric made for this use, you can find different fabrics that are made wide enough for the back of any size quilt, that comes in pretty colors and patterns where you can find the one to put on the back of your quilt.
How The Quilting Is Made On A Traditional Quilt
In the early times, quilters have to do the quilting by hand, and it was done following the quilting patterns of that time, 1/4 inch from the seam, stitch in the ditch, diagonal lines, curves, and the hand quilting could be made also with different patterns like feathers, flowers and others.
How To Make A Traditional Quilt Today
If you’re interested to make a traditional quilt today, you will need to find a quilt block pattern you like for your quilt.
Make enough numbers of that quilt block and sew them together with a sashing, to make the quilt big as you need it.
Then it will be the time to make the quilting sandwich by laying together the three layers of fabrics: the top made with Quilt Blocks and the sashing, the batting fabric and the fabric for the back, one piece of fabric.
Pinch enough safety pins or do the basting of the three layers of fabric, then you can work on the quilting, and when is done you can sew on the binding to finish the quilt.
Today a traditional quilt can be quilted by hand or with your sewing machine with the free motion quilting, which will help you to do the quilting in less time.
Related: Difference Between Quilting And Sewing –
Thanks for reading our blog and for sharing it on your Social Media!
Hi, I’m delighted to hear that quilting is a skill that both men and women can master. I grew up seeing my mother and other ladies in my family sit around and sew quilts, and I still see them today. So I was considering trying it myself to see how quickly I could progress. One of the reasons I’d like to do this is because I now have a lot of free time at home. That’s why I felt that doing it with my family members would be a great idea.
Thank you very much.
Funny enough, my father used to make quilts but he did not really follow any particular pattern, but they were very colourful. I believe he found it helped to reduce stress. He is now 90 so does not have the eyes or the steady hand to hold the needle. It’s nice to know the story of how quilts came around. Thanks
Hi Jamila,
i’m sure your father made beautiful quilts, and I’m sure he enjoyed making them, it doesn’t matter if he didn’t follow all the rules when making his quilts, each one is a piece of art!
Though I learnt sewing in school and remember making a apron with a picture of a horse on the front pocket, I have never progressed to make a quilt.
From quilts to eiderdowns, to duvet covers for duvets. Bed coverings are very useful in keeping us warm and cosy at night. It takes skill and a steady hand when sewing. But what’s really great about quilting is that it can be done in teams where a strong bond of communication is formed.
Happy quilting!
I loved reading your article because of all the history in it! It is fascinating to me to discover how a real traditional quilt was made back then. It inspires me to go ahead and try to make one myself. How nice it is to make something so beautiful by hand. From choosing a pattern to picking the colors, we are so lucky today to have so many options!!! Thank you for this wonderful article full of precious info!