LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Quilts: Women
built 264 days ago
The first quilts emerged in ancient Egypt, and the decorative art form traveled to Asia and later to Europe during the Crusades (c. 1100–1300). By 1300, quilting had spread to Italy, where women sewed bed quilts, and from there a long tradition of quilt making developed throughout Europe. Female European immigrants brought their quilting skills to the United States where the art form flourished during the colonial era. American women often created patchwork quilts made from scraps of fabric. Women ... participated in quilting bees in which they worked together in groups to sew quilts.
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With a few exceptions, quilts have always been made by women. Alone or in groups, called quilting bees, they have been a part of the social fabric of everyday life both historically and into this century. Deborah Harding, a published author on the subject says, “There are almost as many quilt patterns and pattern names as there are quilts. They are passed down in families like recipes. In the hands of a dozen women, the same pattern can produce a dozen different results. A change in the number of patches, the angle at which they are placed, the combination of elements, or even the art of a curve creates a new design.”
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In days past women did not make quilts as a hobby, they made handmade quilts out of need. Handmade quilts were originally used as bedding and for basic warmth. Later these utilitarian quilts began being regarded as works of art. These handmade quilts began being passed down from generation to generation with a sense of pride attached to each quilt. In the early days when women did not have the use of a sewing machine for assistance quilting was not an easy endeavor. Usually, the handmade quilts were made from remnant patches, or small squares of different types and colors of cloth pieced together with a backing.
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Rachel Smucker invites you to see the beautiful display of quilts in her new quilt shop on her Amish farm. See over 100 quality, colorful quilts hand crafted by local Amish and Mennonite women. Quilts, wall hangings, pillows, dolls and more are available at competitive prices. Buses welcome. Closed Sundays.
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Bangladeshi quilts mainly known as 'Kantha' are not piecing together of patches. They are two to three cloths joined together for thickness. They are made out of worn out clothes (saries) and mainly used for bedding, as a blanket, and sometimes as decorating piece as well. They are made in the leisure times of women mainly in the Monsoon before winter.
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