Last night my DH and I were talking about, yes you've got it 'Quilts,'
he asked me if I knew what was the oldest quilt design for a bed quil. I had to admit I did not know the answer and I am always reading things about the history of quilts.
Anyone know what some of the oldest designs were?

Gal

http://www.stitchnsave.com/quilt/Quilts.asp

Interesting history facts here.

I think I read that crazy quilts are the oldest known type of bed quilt. Ladies would practice their embroidery skills and every little scrap of fabric was put into them.

I read the same thing somewhere.

I was in Lhassa, Tibet several years ago and went to the Potalla Palace -- the oldest and holiest Budhist monastery in the world. There were shrines to all the Llamas (like Popes in the Catholic Church). Spread on the throne of the earliest Llama was a silk log cabin design quilted drape. It was very bright and colorfful. Because it is a holy shrine pictures were not allowed. It was centuries old. the monastery was built in 600 AD

When I get back to Maine I will scan and post a pix of 50 ft or more square silk banner of the Budha and religious figures. It is hung on the wall of the monastery for significant occasions. A lady was using a treadle machine to mend some areas that were worn. Just fantastic!!

Mim

I would think ,any of the quilts made by women across the prairies would be most of what the amish communities still do...postage stamp , churn dash, 4 and 9 patch...so many

While not the oldest quilt design, the (generally agreed upon) oldest quilt still in existence is the The Tristan quilt dating from 1360 - 1400 in Italy. Here's an interesting (and brief) article about the history of quilts:
http://www.historyofquilts.com/ancient.html

Also Barbara Brackman's blog is a wealth of information on the historical aspects of the craft.
http://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/