Speaker for February 11 – Georganna Hawley
Today’s program on quilting was presented by Georganna Hawley, wife of member Tom Swan. Of course, we saw some quilts, including a magnificent large patriotic quilt about 9’ x 9’ of stars and stripes. But what we didn’t expect was a world history of quilting which was pretty interesting. First, what exactly is a quilt? A quilt has three parts – a backing, a designed top fabric and a middle – batting – all sewn together. Originally they served for warmth and also for padding under armor.
Quilt collectors included Henry VIII. Those quilts were very elaborate and only fit for the rich. Commoners used wool blankets. The oldest European quilts are from the 13th century.
In Colonial America, the major textiles were linen and wool, sold by Great Britain. Cotton was being produced but in small quantities. Cotton fabrics later were imported through Great Britain, from Egypt or India. France had heavily guarded secret dying methods, but Great Britain also protected their dying procedure done in India. The first printed cotton fabrics came from India.
After the Revolutionary War, cotton production increased in the South and then dominated world production. The cotton mills were mostly in the northern US. Georganna talked about Indigo dye and showed an example of a 100-year-old quilt which still had vivid dark blue from natural Indigo dye.
In 1859, Eli Singer had begun producing his sewing machines. Singer may have invented the Installment Plan: he sold his machines for $1 down and $1 per month until paid. The first book devoted to quilting was published in 1912. Publishers discovered that if quilting patterns and designs put in magazines, readers would buy them. By the 1930’s, mail order catalogs were very popular, especially among rural women, and fabrics and designs were a big mail-order business.
At the time of our bicentennial, 1976, people looked to American history and there was a resurgence of interest in early quilt patterns. The interest in quilting has grown since then. This hobby or craft has demanded more and more tools to make quilts, including software. She showed us a rotary cutter that is a must-have for quilters. Reynolds Aluminum was about to drop its freezer paper from production – when the quilters heard of this, they mounted a campaign and the product is still in production. Today, on the side of the package, it notes “Easy quilter appliqués.”
Today, in Barnes & Noble, there are at least 25 magazines on quilting and hundreds of quilting books. There are also international shows, including a really big annual show in Long Beach.
Thank you, Georganna, for a very interesting history of quilting. Power to the Quilters!!
== Rocky
