Early Quilting

Quilting has been around for centuries, though it has not always been in the form most people today think of as quilting. The earliest form of quilting was not patchwork (the sewing together of pieces of fabric). The earliest form was two pieces of material with some form of padding sandwiched in between them. These layers were then sewn together. Today, we still consider the act of quilting the sandwiching and sewing, but we also include the patchwork.

Also, bed covers were not the primary use for these quilts. The oldest evidence of quilting is found in paintings and sculptures in ancient Egypt, India, China, and Persia. The paintings and sculptures show highly decorative quilting used on clothing and wall hangings. The quilted material would not only keep a person warm, but it is obvious by the elaborate designs on the clothing and wall hangings that it was appreciated as a form of art and a fashion statement. Other items that were quilted for warmth as well as for fashion were slippers, petticoats, and mantles.

Some quilted evidence in the form of the actual items still remains, though very few because the fabrics and skins used are perishable. Some of the items that have been found have shown other uses for quilted materials. For example, soldiers wore quilted shirts under their chain mail. The soft fabrics quilted together and worn under chain mail provided warmth when the weather was cold, and it provided protection from the chain mail rubbing against skin during the extended marches. Soldiers also used quilted material under the horse’s saddle to protect the horse.

Another use for quilted fabric was as a type of door in large churches. The actual doors to enter the church were left open because they were so large and heavy and because there was a constant stream of people entering and exiting. If the weather was nice this was not an issue, but during the cold months a large quilted curtain was hung in the doorway to help keep out the cold, but make it easy for people to come and go from the church.

My favorite early use for quilted fabric was both practical and very decorative. This is the wall hangings. The wall hangings were a necessity to block the constant chill the stone walls held in the winter. Even though they were practical they were created with colorful fabrics and threads and the stitching was extremely detailed. One of the earliest surviving wall hangings is a Sicilian quilt known as the Legend of Tristan. I am not only partial to this quilt because I have an affinity for the King Arthur legends, but also because one look at it and a person cannot help but be in awe of the detail. In an age of predominant machine quilting, I have difficulty imagining the amount of time it took to create this work of art. The quilt currently resided in a London museum, but a full picture of the quilt can be found in the book The History of the Patchwork Quilt: Origins, Traditions and Symbols of a Textile Art.

If you get a chance, take a trip to a museum that displays example of early needlework and see some of these amazing early quilting items. I’d love to see your photos.