Authored by Donna Johnson in Crafts
Published on 09-22-2009
Quilting has been one of the most popular types of needle arts over the years. Whether the quilts are made for functionality, beauty, or just as a hobby for relaxation, the possibilities for quilts are nearly endless.
Traditional quilts are typically made up of blocks that are pieced together. The blocks are then pieced with other blocks to create the quilt. This style of quilting is also referred to as block quilting. There are nearly endless possibilities for the individual block designs. Fabric pieces of all different geometric shapes may be used in the blocks. Traditional quilts are a great choice for beginners to start with, as the geometric shapes are easiest to cut and piece together.
Another popular type of quilt is the Amish quilt. The Amish quilts are distinguished by their simple patterns of geometric shapes. Amish quilts are pieced from solid colored fabrics rather than calico or other patterned fabrics.
Art quilts gained favor in the 1970s and are still made today. When making an art quilt, the quilter simply pieces fabric together in a way that creates a large picture. Art quilts could be described as a type of mosaic, only made with fabric rather than ceramic tiles or tile pieces. The pictures can be quite simple or rather elaborate.
Appliqué quilting is a good way to customize a quilt for anyone, but especially for children. In appliqué quilting, a simple line drawing is used as a template to cut fabric sections. The fabric is then pieced together to recreate the line drawing as a motif on the quilt, using a different color or print of fabric for each section. The sections are typically outlined using the blanket stitch, a very simple embroidery stitch. If you want to make an appliqué quilt for a child, coloring books are great sources of line drawings that can be used as templates. A good example of the appliqué style of quilting is the Sunbonnet Sue pattern.
Last but not least, there is the crazy quilt. A crazy quilt is exactly what the name suggests-crazy. Various colors and prints of fabric are randomly pieced together with no particular pattern at all. After the quilt top is pieced, decorative embroidery stitches are used to outline the various fabric sections. One type of embroidery stitch can be used throughout the quilt, or several different types may be used to keep with the “crazy” theme.
Whether a quilt is hand-pieced or sewn together on a machine, in a traditional or modern pattern, or for functionality or beauty alone, quilting remains a very popular hobby. If you are very good at it, quilting can also be very rewarding. Hand-pieced quilts can be sold for hundreds of dollars or can win various ribbons at fairs and crafting events if you are not interested in selling your quilts. If you haven’t tried quilting before, you should give it a go. You will get the hang of it very quickly, and have beautiful quilts to enhance your home, give as gifts, or sell.
