Quilt

Quilts may be made or given to mark important life events such as marriage, the birth of a child, a family member leaving home, or graduations.

Creativity could be expressed in the block designs, or simple "utility quilts", with minimal decorative value, could be produced.

Quilting bees were important social events in many communities, and were typically held between periods of high demand for farm labor.

A logical extension of this tradition led to quilts being made to raise money for other community projects, such as recovery from a flood or natural disaster, and later, for fundraising for war.

There are many American traditions regarding the number of quilts a young woman (and her family) was expected to have made prior to her wedding for the establishment of her new home.

[8] One of the primary techniques involved in quilt making is patchwork, sewing together geometric pieces of fabric often to form a design or "block".

For example, several pockets may be quilted in the pattern of a flower, and then extra batting pushed through a slit in the backing fabric (which will later be sewn shut).

Such quilts were often effectively samplers of embroidery stitches and techniques, displaying the development of needle skills of those in the well-to-do late 19th-century home.

[14][15] As textiles were traded heavily throughout the Caribbean, Central America, and the Southern United States, the traditions of each distinct region became intermixed.

[18] Building on the relationship between quilting and musical performance, African-American quilter Gwendolyn Ann Magee created a twelve-piece exhibition based on the lyrics of James Weldon Johnson's "Lift Every Voice and Sing", commonly known as the "Negro National Anthem".

[20] Eli Leon, a collector of African-American quilts, organized a traveling exhibition in 1987 that introduced both historic and current quilters, some loosely following patterns and others improvising, such as Rosie Lee Tompkins.

The center and border designs were typically inspired by local flora and often had rich personal associations for the creator, with deep cultural resonances.

While star patterns existed in earlier European-American forms of quilting, they came to take on special significance for many native artisans.

Star quilts have also become a source of income for many Native-American women, while retaining spiritual and cultural importance to their makers.

Created by the Native Americans of southern Florida, Seminole strip piecing is based on a simple form of decorative patchwork.

Henry VIII of England's household inventories record dozens of "quyltes" and "coverpointes" among the bed linen, including a green silk one for his first wedding to Catherine of Aragon, quilted with metal threads, linen-backed, and worked with roses and pomegranates.

Thomas Smythe, a brother of the owner of Leeds Castle, was a founder and governor of the English East India Company.

(See: Image series showing production method) Sashiko (刺し子, literally "little stabs") is a Japanese tradition that evolved over time from a simple technique for reinforcing fabric made for heavy use in fishing villages.

Piecing is not part of the tradition; instead, the focus is on heavy cotton thread work with large, even stitches on the base fabric.

Women in the Indus Region of the Indian subcontinent make beautiful quilts with bright colors and bold patterns.

Nakshi kantha consisting of a running (embroidery) stitch, similar to the Japanese Sashiko is used for decorating and reinforcing the cloth and sewing patterns.

Muslim and Hindu women from a variety of tribes and castes in towns, villages, and also nomadic settings make rallis.

Quiltmaking is an old tradition in the region perhaps dating back to the fourth millennium BC, judging by similar patterns found on ancient pottery.

The most common colors are white, black, red, and yellow or orange with green, dark blue, or purple.

A distinguishing feature of ralli patterning in patchwork and appliqué quilts is the diagonal placement of similar blocks as well as a variety of embellishments including mirrors, tassels, shells, and embroidery.

[38] Rural women in the Uttara Kannada region of India carry out traditional quilting practices that are interwoven with rituals around food availability and access.

Primarily made in Yadgir, Bagalkot, Gulbarga, Angadibail and Haliyal, Kavudis are handmade patchwork quilts with around multiple layers including the batting or insulation.

Khayamiya is a form of suspended tent decoration or portable textile screen used across North Africa and the Middle East.

Forms of animals, humans, or mythological figures are featured, with strong geometric designs in the voids around the main image.

The museum houses a large collection of contemporary quilts, and features approximately a dozen exhibitions each year showcasing the works of "today's quilters" from America and around the world.