Originally Posted by
redmadder
I remember my mother chain piecing, that was around 1959. I'm certain she learned it from someone even older than her.
Please know that when I said chain piecing has been around since the 1970s, I did not mean there was no way it could have been done before that. Barbara Johanna actually wrote a book published in 1938 or 39 about "quick quilting." But as a well known and widely-used piecing technique it didn't come into "vogue" until the current resurgence that began in the mid-1970s. Aren't we all grateful?!!
Personally I have had a family quilt that was appraised as ca. 1780 or earlier, which has sections in it that would have been perfect for "speed/chain piecing." I've wondered many times if that young Colonial Virginian woman knew how to do that, and like to imagine that she figured it out for herself.
Jan in VA