Quilting was common in the early 1700s on into the 1800s as immigrants settled here. The word quilt was derived from the Latin word "Calcita" which means a stuffed sack, or a three layer bed covering. Women would sew through three layers of cloth to keep the middle layer from bunching. You might call it a cloth sandwich. The top layer was usually a decorative piece of cloth if it was available.
There were three types of baby quilts. The first was a plain whole cloth quilt, the second was called an appliqué quilt and the third one was patches of different material stitched together and called a patchwork quilt.
The quilt was originally made for warmth, used as a bed cover. They were also used to cover doors and windows in homes to prevent drafts in the very cold weather. They could also be made into coats for the men and for petticoats for women to wear under their skirts for warmth in the cold climates.
In the early years of America, the priority was given to sew clothing and with all the chores the women had besides raising children there was very little time to make fancy baby quilts for sale. In the early 1800s when fabric was just starting to be manufactured in America and clothing became available in general stores and by catalogues, the women would have more time for quilting. That was when more decorative baby quilts started to appear and became more popular. Thousands of baby quilts for sale were stitched together and a good amount of them have been preserved. Many were so intricate that it sometimes took years for them to be completed. They have been handed down as precious family heirlooms and are displayed in people's homes as well as museums. Those early baby quilts provide a window into the history of quilting and this United States.
In the early 1800s, the popular styles of baby quilts were Whole Cloth, Broderie Perse and Medallion. The whole cloth quilt was known also as the Counterpand and was usually made from single pieces of material top and bottom and the decoration was obtained by padded or corded quilting in a very elaborate design. Appliqué quilt had a top made of a whole cloth with smaller pieces of fabric cut into shapes that were stitched to the whole cloth. These baby quilts were more elegant than the pieced type. Appliqué quilting became more favorable around the late 1700s and peaked around 1850. Only the very wealthy could afford to purchase the expensive imported fabric and also had the leisure time to create this type of quilt.
As living conditions improved and more materials were made available the patchwork quilt had become the "utility quilt" and the appliqué quilt became the decorative or "show" quilt. More time was invested in stitching this quilt.
Another style of quilt that became popular in the early 1800s was called the Medallion Quilt. This quilt was created in a style that had been brought to America from Europe by the colonists. It had a central motif encompassed by multiple borders and led to endless design possibilities for quilters. They could combine patchwork, appliqué and embroidery either alone or in any combination.
There are examples of very intricate patchwork baby quilts that took large amounts of time to create. Pieced baby quilts were used as the everyday bedcover designed to be made in a short period of time. Women would save every scrap of fabric and any usable portion of worn clothing to use to make patchwork baby quilts for sale. These became the most common type of baby quilts used in that time.
A variation of the everyday quilt was known as a plain "tufted" quilt that is tied through the material in enough places to prevent the middle layer or the filling from bunching or slipping. While this quilt has no stitching to hold the layers together it does have three layers just like a traditional quilt. Another type of quilt was known as the "summer quilt" which does not have the middle layer of filling and was more useful as a bed covering during the summer months. This summer quilt has traditional stitching holding both layers of material together.
During the 1800s, there was a custom that young girls make thirteen baby quilts for sale consisting of twelve utility baby quilts and one great quilt which was either pieced or an appliqué quilt for her bridal bed. After she was engaged, she would put the finishing touches on the top of the utility baby quilts and turn them into completed baby quilts for sale. Another custom was for the mother to make several baby quilts for her daughters to take with them when they left home to start their new life. This custom is carried out today in some families as quilters stitch heirloom baby quilts for their children and grandchildren.
There will be a follow up article about quilting soon due to the extensive information available about quilting and that it is still used today.
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