Revised Quilting history
A huge thank you to those that have followed my previous thread and added valuable information regarding the history of quilting. As this is to be a presentation to my guild I have needed to edit to keep it brief. I anticipate much discussion afterwards as guild members share stories of what they remember and when they started quilting. There was so much more that I could have added if I had more time to speak.Revised quilting History
Quilting is said to have started back in the 13 Century, I am not going back that far in time for this brief history of recent quilting but am instead starting in the mid 1970’s.
The American Bicentennial in 1976 created a renewed interest in quilting and handcrafts. Towards the end of the decade in 1979 came an invention that I think revolutionized the quilting world forever.
The rotary cutter and accompanying acrylic rulers that followed meant that quilters did not have to rely on cardboard templates, tracing shapes on fabric and cutting the shapes with scissors.
Fabrics in the 1980s that were used by quilters could have been…Laura Ashley florals, dusty rose and dusty blue, preprinted panels were popular as well.
Long arm quilting machines for home use emerged in the early 1980’s, machine quilting instead of tying or hand quilting started to be more popular. Safety Pin basting sped up the process and for many replaced hand basting.
Singer introduced its first Computerized sewing machine in 1985…who remembers machines with Cams for fancy stitches!
In the 1980s and early 1990’s quilters were getting new ideas from quilting TV shows, Eleanor Burns, Georgia Bonisteel, Kaye Woods, Alex Anderson were a few of the programs. Sewing with Nancy started in 1982 and ran until 2017, it was mostly a sewing show, but she did feature quilting as well.
The 90’s could be said to be the rise of technology. the internet started in 1991, the first smart phones arrived in the early 90’s and the first digital camera was developed in 1994. Amazon started in 1994, first selling only books and then evolving into selling practically everything. Suddenly quilters had the means to photograph their work and share it online with like minded folks all over the world. Quilting forums were started, fabric swaps became abundant.
Popular fabrics and fabric designers in the 90’s included Civil war prints, Thimbleberries, Kim Diehl, Jo Morton, Robert Kaufman and 1930’s reproductions.
The affordability of digital camera, the availability of modern fabric designs and the use of the internet lead to the birth of Modern quilting in the early to mid 2000’s. Youtube began in 2005 and changed the way that we learned about new techniques and patterns.
While the rotary cutter sped up the process of making a quilt, precuts took it to another level. Jelly Rolls, charm squares, layercakes, honeybuns ,fat quarters and many others meant that a quilter could jump in and start to make a quilt with little or no cutting involved. Or you could cut your pieces and strips with an Accuquilt or Cricut fabric cutting machine.
The 2000’s saw the market flooded with fabric designers, quilt designers and new techniques. Names like Kaffe Fassett, Amy Butler, Tula Pink, Elizabeth Hartman, Tim Holtz, Anna Marie Horner and so many others.
Jenny Doan started Missouri Star quilts in 2008 and we learned new techniques for old patterns from Jenny and other designers. Disappearing nine patch and 4 patch, bargello quilts, Stack and Whack, one block wonders etc.
For many of us Pinterest in 2009 was a game changer, finally a place to keep all those patterns, photos and ideas that we found on the internet in one place. A never-ending source of new ideas!
The decade between 2010 and 2020 brought the invention of Spray Baste , ruler foot quilting and wool pressing mats. Gypsy Wife quilts by Australian Designer Jen Kingwell, a resurgence of Hexagons including huge contributions by our very own Katja Marek with her New Hexagon books and quilt alongs ( Katja Marek lives in my City).
Traditional quilting, modern quilting, Art quilts , hand quilting, English Paper piecing all have a place in the quilting world. Who knows what the next decade will bring for the quilting world. What do you remember? What do you think have been the biggest changes in recent quilt history?