Quilting fabrics date back thousands of years and examples can be found in Japan, China, Korea, India, England, Scotland, Ireland, Scandinavia and Europe. The oldest example of quilting fabric is thought to have been found near the border between Mongolia and Siberia in a Scythian chieftains tomb and is thought to be as old a AD200. Many of the intricate spirals and cross-hatching techniques are still used by quilters today when practicing the art of wholecloth quilting.

Another ancient form of quilting was shoes being made from quilted fabrics. Usually the shoes were made from quilted felt and patched with leather to give them added strength.

Quilted garments are one of the oldest forms of clothing and in ancient times were used as a form of armour. This gave an elevated level of protection against arrows and spears. When gunpowder and gun power was introduced, this level of protection was no longer afforded and quilted garments in military battles gave way to more advanced types of battle clothing.

It is said that the art of quilting fabric originated in the East and Japan has a long history of quilting. In the earliest times quilts in Japan were articles of bedding. In fact the word quilt is derived from the Latin culcita meaning a mattress or pillow. One of the earliest quilts from Japan is the futon being a thick mattress, generously padded with cotton wadding. The Japanese originally slept on the futon on the floor and depending on the season would have a lighter or heavier quilt on top.

Japanese Buddist monks were expected to renounce all materialism and adopt the Kesa, a patched robe made from recycled fabrics.

In England, several hundred years ago, quilting was a thriving cottage industry and generally produced warm and comfortable bedding for protection from the cold and miserable winters. Nowadays people are still quilting and derive a lot of pleasure from producing quilts which are more of an artwork or tell a story.

Many have forgotten that patchwork and quilting are two different and distinct crafts and only over the last hundred or so years have merged together. Originally patchwork fabrics were not quilted and when quilters worked they worked on wholecloth projects.

Professional quilters in England applied their skills to many different articles of clothing as diverse as petticoats, babys bonnets and coats.

The making of quilts can be produced in many different styles, some examples being Mosaic Patchwork, Crazy Patchwork, Country Style Quilts, Wholecloth Quilts, Stripy Quilts and also more contemporary quilts.

By Sigrid Gangsoy

Quilting Fabrics

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