Patchwork

Christina here. When I was a teenager, I had an American friend who used to work on patchwork quilts with her mother and two sisters as a group project every so often. It made the work go faster, and was also a lovely way for them to spend time together. I remember thinking I would love to try it sometime, but then I forgot about it. Quilting wasn’t a handicraft that was practised much in Sweden when I grew up, or at least I’d never seen it done, so I didn’t have a chance to learn how. (Plus I don’t have any sisters.) But I had heard of them – over there they are called lapptäcke.

Later, when I moved to the UK, I saw quilts for sale in Laura Ashley shops. I couldn’t afford them myself, but my mother bought one which she later handed on to me when she no longer wanted it. In the meantime, I tried making one myself by sewing squares together on a sewing machine, but it wasn’t as nice and I didn’t like it much. It didn’t feel authentic either, since it hadn’t been hand sewn. To me, the charm of a patchwork quilt is all the work that has gone into it, each piece of material perhaps a memory of the garment it had come from and lovingly stitched.

At one point, I did try to make a small baby’s quilt with hexagons, and the result was OK but not perfect because I didn’t really know what I was doing. (This was long before the time of YouTube tutorials). I still dreamed of one day making a big one, but I didn’t want to do it wrong so I gave up the idea. That is, until I heard about a one-day patchwork course that was happening near where I live. I signed up immediately.

Quilting and patchwork are two different things – quilting as a technique has been around for a very long time, at least as far back as medieval times according the Victoria & Albert Museum website, although probably much longer. (They have some fabulous examples in their collections!). They say that “the word ‘quilt’ is linked to the Latin word ‘culcita’ which means a bolster or cushion and seems to have first been used in England in the 13^th century”.

Historically, a quilt was made up of two layers of material that were stitched together with some kind of padding or wadding in between to add warmth. The padding would be held in place by stitching lines or patterns onto it. Mostly they were used as bed covers and many were passed down through generations. In medieval times quilting was also used to make warm clothes – a definite plus if you lived in a draughty old castle or manor house!

Patchwork – also called ‘pierced work’ or EPP (English paper piecing) – is similar, but uses tiny pieces of fabric that have been left over and need to be reused or recycled. These designs are often geometric and various different shapes are joined together to form a whole, at least on one side. (The back can be a large piece of plain fabric.) It’s a great way of using scraps of material and old clothes that can no longer be adapted, and it makes sense to utilise everything you have to hand in this way. Sustainability is the key and these quilts actually look best when they have some age to them and have become heritage pieces.

They are often associated with the early settlers in America. There were (still are?) ‘quilting bees’, social occasions when groups of women got together to make a quilt for someone who was about to be married for example. That sounds like a wonderful tradition to me!

So anyway, heading off to my one-day course, I was thrilled that I would finally be learning the right way of going about it. First, we were taught to cut out paper templates from thick glossy magazines, as it helps to have paper that is a little bit stiff. We used hexagon templates made of acrylic, although of course there are other shapes too in lots of different materials like metal and plastic. Next, we pinned the paper shapes to fabric and cut around them, leaving a wide border (1-2cm). Then we folded the material over the paper and tacked it to hold them together. While folding, we had to make sure the angles were sharp so that all the pieces of material would be the same size. Where I’d gone wrong when I previously tried this on my own was that I didn’t tack the material to the paper first, so they weren’t uniform enough.

Holding two tacked pieces front to front, we practised sewing them together with tiny stitches all along the edge. It’s best to try not to catch the paper as that way the templates can be removed and reused later, although in the past, the paper was sometimes left in situ as it helped to make the quilt warmer. The stitches have to be very small and neat – not always easy!

 

 

 

We practised sewing together seven hexagons to form a sort of “flower” and I was delighted with the result. I finally felt as though I knew what I was doing. We also tried making stars with diamond shaped templates, but I found that clumsier as you are left with weird bits sticking out.

 

The best part of the day was seeing the quilts the two ladies had already made as they brought quite a few along to show us. It gave me lots of ideas and I went home ready to make one of my own. Rather than stick with the tradition of using old things, though, I want mine to be specific colours so I have started to buy fabrics I like. Hopefully, one of these days I will have a proper, handmade quilt to display somewhere. In the meantime, I’ll have great fun working on it.

I would also like to try making a little quilt for my dolls’ house. When I went to a dolls’ house fair recently, there were quite a few on sale and they were made out of such tiny scraps, the mind boggled! I might have to get myself new glasses if I’m to sew anything that small, but I’ll enjoy trying.

It occurred to me that as authors, we weave together a story one piece at a time and it’s just like a patchwork quilt. Some authors have all their pieces beforehand and laid out neatly to form the pattern, while others – like me – have various patches that don’t necessarily fit together but need extra bits inserted to form a whole. I’m determined not to be that disorganised with the real quilt, but when it comes to writing, that’s what works best for me.

How about you – have you ever worked on a patchwork quilt by yourself or with others? Or have you seen beautiful examples in museums that you’ve admired?

Comments

[Mary T]

I have no talent when it comes to anything that is sewn. But I have a great deal of appreciation for those that do. Every parish that I ever belonged to had a sewing bee - a group of ladies that met in the church basement to sew quilts and socialize. They would raffle off their handiwork at the church fair in the Fall and would bring in a hefty chunk of change for the church coffers. I never won one but I tried every year.

Interesting blog.

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank you Mary! I wish they'd had that where I lived - I would definitely have joined in and I'd have learned a lot faster. It sounds like a lovely thing to do!

[Mel Scott]

I've been working on a basic Liberty hexie quilt for a year or so, my first foray into EPP. It's kind of addictive. (Also, you can baste with glue and buy the papers in most shapes to speed up the process considerably). One of my friends does EPP with teeny tiny pieces but I'm not sure I have the patience for that. But it is a fun way to play with fabric. The author Lucy M Boston was a EPPer and some of her designs are still made. I loved her books when I was a kid, so it was fascinating to discover another side of her as an adult.

[Christina Courtenay]

That sounds wonderful, Mel, and I'm so glad you're addicted too! It does seem like a great way to destress although like you, I'm not sure I can handle the tiny pieces. I will give it a go at some point though but I'll do the big ones first.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Wonderful blog, Christina! Quilts and quilting are very much a part of American historical and social lore, and I've always loved them. I got to the biennial quilt shows here in Baltimore and we loved the national quilting museum in Paducah, Kentucky--amazing work. But I've never actually looked into the making of them, so I've learned a great deal by reading this blog, so thank you!

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank you Mary Jo, so glad you enjoyed it! Quilts are so beautiful, aren't they, and come in so many different patterns and colours. I would love to go to that museum, sounds fascinating!

[Denise]

I have worked on a patchwork quilt. My next project will be a Jane Austen quilt.

My grandma was a prolific quilter, as was my mother-in-law.

Quilts do not have to be hand quilted or hand pieced to be authentic. Machine pieced and machine quilted are respected as authentic quilting.

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank you Denise, that's good to know, and your projects sound amazing! I'm actually better at hand sewing than using a machine so it's probably safer for me to stick to that, even if it takes much longer. All quilts are beautiful though and so unique!

[Nancy Mayer]

Never tried making one as I knew it was beyond my capabilities. I remember a quilt frame an aunt had. A female relative had worked for the circus for decades making and repairing costumes. She used scraps of the fabrics for a patchwork quilt. My daughter had it, but I don't know id she still does or if it had fallen to pieces. It would be about a hundred years old now.

[Jeanne Behnke]

I love quilts but I have no urge to make one myself. We lived quite a few years in the York / Lancaster area of Pennsylvania where the quilting is prolific. I had quite a few friends who attended quilting bees. Good ones are definitely expensive!

[Christina Courtenay]

That would be quite an heirloom, Nancy! And what a wonderful memory of her years working for the circus - perfect! You must find out if your daughter still has it.

[Christina Courtenay]

They are amazing, aren't they! Yes, I can see why they would be expensive as a lot of hard work goes in to each one - so worth it though!

[Kareni]

What a fun workshop for you to attend, Christina. Enjoy your quilting!

I've never been interested in making my own quilt, but I enjoy admiring the efforts of others. I'll also admit to drooling over some lovely fabrics.

[Anne Gracie]

Lovely blog, Christina. My mother was a keen maker of patchwork quilts and our house was filled with little hexagonal pieces of paper many with fabric tacked on, ready to be attached. She made some beautiful quilts, too — all hand-sewn with tiny perfect stitches. My eldest sister snagged the one I wanted, but I have a smaller one and a couple of cushions — as well as a pile of "flower" shapes needing to be put together. Unfortunately my sewing is not nearly as neat as Mum's was. But one day . . .
Mum used to buy some fabrics, but she'd also use offcuts left over from the dresses she used to make for my older sisters, so it's fun spotting little shapes and remembering the dress is was related to.

A friend of mine's mother makes wonderful quilts, machine sewn, and they're beautiful too, and often very intricate.. She made me a lovely throw once, which I love..

[Vicki L]

Quilts can be made of anything...machined, hand stitched, a combination there of. My sister has made several T'shirt quilts. You take your favorite old t'shirts, cut them up (saving the logos, designs, etc) and figure out a layout that you like and a color that goes well to then sew them to. Basically they are memory quilts. I don't know all the steps but they are fun to look at.

Another fun kind of quilt to look at are Crazy quilts. Those are just fascinating... Very ornamental, not useful because of all the snazzy fabrics and fanciful embroidery.

Quilting is still going strong in the Atlanta, GA area. There is a huge quilting guild and they have a huge quilting show each year. It ranges from small lap quilts to huge wall hangings. Machined to hand stitched.

Personally I don't have the patience for it. But I'm a great appreciator for the craft and the art of quilting.

[Karin]

I love quilts, and I've gone to museum quilt exhibits a number of times. When I was much younger, a made several baby quilts for close friends and family, but I machine sewed them together. Sadly, my last project is still a bunch of cut out pieces of cloth that has been residing in a shoe box for decades! I don't know if I'll ever get back to it.

[Binnie Syril Braunstein]

Chtistina-I live in Baltimore where we are fortunate to have Baltimore Album Quilts. They were stitched and quilted, but not nade of fabric scraps. Baltimore Album Quilts began in the 1840's prior to the Anerican Cuvil War. Vivid colors were used and the quilts were signed in invisible ink. Today, some 10,750 of these quilts are housed in the Marylsnd Historical Society. I saw a display of them years ago, and they're breathtaking. For more information, Google Baltimore Album Quilts.

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank you Kareni! Yes there are some amazing fabrics aren't there, it's so hard to choose! And I really did enjoy that workshop immensely, it was a fun day.

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank you, Anne, and I'm so glad you still have some of your mother's work! Part of the charm is definitely the memories attached to certain pieces of fabric. I really must make a proper patchwork quilt with old bits of clothing, but first I'm going to do the one where I choose the material specifically to get certain colours. I think both will be very satisfying!

[Christina Courtenay]

That sounds wonderful, Vicki! Old T-shirts are so easy to come by but I would imagine it's quite tricky to sew pieces together as the material is very stretchy. Great idea though! And I'm glad quilting is still going strong as it's such an amazing tradition.

[Christina Courtenay]

They sound precious, Karin! Like I said, I made one as well and it felt like a more manageable project as the quilt was smaller but it was no less beautiful than the bigger ones. I hope you take it up again or perhaps pass on the pieces of fabric to someone who'd like to do it.

[Christina Courtenay]

Oh wow, Binnie, those are incredible! So much work must go into them and the result is stunning! I'm really glad they are being kept for posterity and that you can go and see them. Thank you for sharing!

[Wendy]

I cannot quilt I cross stitch but I have inherited several quilts made by my grandmother and several great aunts They were made in the 20's ad I love them They were group projects and the are a joy to have They are tied not pieced

[Christina Courtenay]

What a lovely legacy, Wendy, you are so lucky! Cross stitch is fun too - I think any handicraft skills are great to have. It's good that we're all enjoying different things!

[kc]

I remember when one of my great-grandmothers came to visit, we would set the quilting frame up in the dining room overlooking the backyard & she, Mom & I would quilt & talk. That & snapping peas or beans, or pitting cherries--great for women chats! I inherited several pieced tops in my grandmother's cedar chest, one was pieced with newspaper sewn to the backs--it's a Wedding Dove pattern. I started to quilt one but just couldn't get into it by myself and so it sits. Maybe someday, esp. if I do it with a lap frame--keep the legs warm!

I'm glad you found such a good class, Christina! Enjoy working on your quilts!

[Lil Marek]

Long, long ago, when I was in grade school, we had to write reports on different aspects of life in the past. I wrote about quilts, and thought they were so interesting I decided to make one myself. By hand, because I wasn't old enough to use the sewing machine. I chose a flower appliqué pattern —eight oval petals around a circle—and I actually completed one square before I gave up.

It would have been pretty had I ever finished it.

[Cindi]

I love quilts. They have so many stories to tell. The people who made them, who they are for even the names of the patterns have something to say. I started my first quilt when I was about ten using a playing card as a pattern. I kept adding to my quilt using scraps from the clothes I made for myself as I got older. When kids came along, I gave the pieced top to my mom as we traveled from military post to military post. A few years later my mom returned the quilt to me finished, beautifully quilted. How much love went into that piece!
My all time favorite quilt was made by my grandfather when he was about twelve, that would be around 1913. He had had scarlet fever and had to be kept quiet so his mom showed him how to piece. The quilt is made out of red, white, and blue tobacco sacks. As the years have gone by it’s now faded to soft grays and peach.
So glad you got to take a quilt class!

[Constance]

One of my great uncles was a picker for an antiques store and also would reupholster old furniture for sale. My grandmother made a quilt from his upholstery fabric samples and scraps for her trousseau. She was married in 1925. When I got married 50+ years later, she gave us the quilt. It's beautiful, with small hexagons of velvet and brocade, but sleeping under it is almost impossible as it weighs a ton! Last summer, I gave it to my niece, who has it hanging on the wall behind her sofa, and all the beautiful fabrics can be admired at once. I like to think it will have even more lives, whether in our family or others.
Good luck with your quilt, Christina - and thanks for a terrific post!

[Alice Mathewson]

Fascinating post. I can just about sew a button on so quilting is way beyond my abilities! However I do remember a wonderful novel by Tracy Chevalier called the Last Runaway, which had a great deal of information on quilting in 1850 Ohio as a framing of the story

[Christina Courtenay]

Such lovely memories, KC! I'm sure you will treasure those and the quilts forever and I'm so glad you have them!

[Christina Courtenay]

It does sound a bit ambitious for someone young, Lil, but I'm sure it was very pretty! Perhaps you'll do another one some day?

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank you Cindi, and what wonderful heirlooms you have! It does sound like a great way to keep someone occupied when they're sick as you can do it in pieces. Very special to have a quilt made by your grandfather!

[Annette N]

Thanks for the wonderful post. I am a fan of quilts. I planned to make a quilt. Got a small quilt frame, and started collecting my children's outgrown clothing for pieces.
Unfortunately, I have no ability for that kind of thing. I believe the phrase is "dumber than a box of rocks". I think working on anything for more than 20 years disqualified me from planning to move forward. I recently donated the fabric pieces to a charity that actually knows how to make quilts. I love the pictures you shared with us. Thanks for this post. You did a wonderful job of showing the beauty of quilts.

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank you, and what a fabulous idea, Constance, to hang it on the wall! Then it can really be admired. And such a lovely gift too - I'm sure your niece will treasure it always.

[Christina Courtenay]

I have to admit I'm not great at sewing either, Alice, but the stitches used are the simplest ones so I can just about manage. Anything more complicated and I wouldn't even try it :-) Many thanks for the book recommendation!

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank you so much, Annette, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Good idea to give the fabric pieces to someone else to use - I'm sure they were very pleased to have them.

[Pat Dupuy]

I have some quilts made by relatives and in-laws. I dabbled with the idea of trying to quilt, but it never went anywhere. Both my sister and my sister-in-law quilt and have made some lovely things. I've seen some lovely quilts at a quilt museum in LaGrange, Texas. They change out their exhibits quarterly.

[Christina Courtenay]

It's lovely that you have some, Pat, and I'm sure they are very special to you as they were made by relatives. There seem to be quite a few quilt museums - I really must go one of these days!

[Laura Lee]

When I was a child, I watched my mom sew a hexagonal quilt by machine and so realized how much work went into cutting and sewing it. When I became engaged my mom and future mother-in-law made us a quilt. Mom, in Ohio, embroidered the flowers, then mailed it to Connecticut for Polly to sew the panels together and quilt the background. It's a glorious heirloom. My sister-in-law, for her daughter's 15th birthday, had friends and relatives send pictures of themselves, which she somehow transferred to material and made a quilt out of them. My mother-in-law made many quilts and was considered an authority on them. She would set up the quilt frame in the living room and my father-in-law would play the organ while she sewed. When she passed, her children were given several each and the rest, along with her collection, were donated to a museum. I myself bought a piece of already quilted material and embroidered the alphabet with appropriately named fairy tale creatures (ie K is for knight) to give to my great nephew.

[Christina Courtenay]

Wow, Laura, what a talented family and so many wonderful heirlooms to treasure! I'm very jealous. It all sounds fabulous and you are very lucky!