What Makes A Quilt A Quilt?
WHAT MAKES A QUILT A QUILT?
“Quilting is not just a hobby; it is yet another way
of living life to its fullest.”
The quote above, beneath the title, is one taken from the Quilting Passion Forum Start page. This quote is one that I fully endorse and believe in with all of my heart and soul!
Wikipedia defines the term “quilt” as, “A quilt is a type of bedding— a bed covering composed of a quilt top, a layer of batting, and a layer of fabric for backing, generally combined using the technique of quilting. Another technique for securing the quilt layers is tying. Tying refers to the technique of using thread, yarn or ribbon to pass through all three layers of the quilt at regular intervals. These “ties” hold the layers together during use and especially when the quilt is washed. This method is easier and more forgiving if the quilt is made by hand. Tied quilts are called, depending on the regional area, “lap”, “comfort” or “comforter”, among other names. Many quilts are made with decorative designs; indeed, some quilts are not used as bed covering at all, but are rather made to be hung on a wall or otherwise displayed. In British English, quilt is another way of saying duvet, wadding is another way of saying batting, and calico refers to muslin rather than to a fabric with a printed pattern on it.”
The intent of this article is not to actually define a quilt, as I honestly believe that that is an impossible task. The objective of this article is to cause you to think, evaluate your ideas, come to conclusions, and hopefully, share your final thoughts with all of us. It is extremely important to note that there are no “right” or “wrong” answers here and neither are there any opinions that are written in stone. I, for one, know that I am apt to change my opinion on subjects as new information is brought to my attention.
Over the past few months, I have read and heard various ideas about what truly makes a quilt a quilt. Some of the questions posed about defining a true quilt include:
- Does a quilt have to have batting to be a quilt?
- Can it be called a quilt if its primary purpose is to hang on the wall?
- Is it a quilt if it has embellishments?
- Is it a quilt if it is tied, versus quilted?
- Is it a quilt if it is not hand-quilted?
- Can it be classified as a quilt if it cannot be washed?
- Are “art quilts” quilts?
These are just a few questions for consideration, and oddly enough, some of the questions above have caused many a debate in the quilting world! However, this article is not intended to spark a debate; merely a conversation about the definition of a “quilt”. I would not be surprised if we are left with more questions and new thoughts to ponder! And, to add more interest, be sure to read the article, “Quilting: Hobby or Not?“.
Quilting is one of the best solutions to relieve stress that I know of. And the really amazing thing about quilting is that anyone can learn how to quilt! In fact, believe this or not, I hate to sew!!! Yes, you read that correctly: I HATE TO SEW. To me, sewing a quilt top together does not equal sewing! I equate “sewing” with making garments, and garment-making is one of the most stressful things I have ever tried my hand at. Weird, I know, but that is how my brain operates! You may be asking yourself how I became hooked on quilting since I hate to sew and the answer for that is outlined in my biography.
The bottom line for me is that it does not really matter how anyone defines a quilt; it is my definition that matters to me, and it is your definition that should matter to you. And this, my friends, is what makes quilting unique and enjoyable!
This leads to one final question: What is a quilt to you?
Quilting By Design Site Map.
Original article first published on Quilting Passion by Terry Crawford.
May 16th, 2007 at 1:21 am
Oh boy, this is going to be an interesting discussion!
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IMHO, upon thinking about it for all of 5 minutes, my personal definition of “what defines a quilt” is this: A quilt is a quilt if it is capable of draping over or wrapping around something… regardless of what its intended use will be. I.e., quilted wallhangings or table runners are quilts (tied, hand quilted, machine quilted, whatever) though fabric postcards, no matter how fun they are to make, are not true quilts. IMHO!
May 16th, 2007 at 2:18 am
I almost laughed the first time I heard someone say that a tied quilt is a comforter. When I see comforters in the store, they are machine stitched, but usually only have one piece of fabric for the whole blanket, and the stitches are very far apart.
To me a quilt is, pieced together with many different kinds of cotton prints, and solids. It doesn’t matter if they are just squares sewn together or if they have a design to them. A quilt is one persons creative, artistic idea made into a blanket, to cherish forever.
May 16th, 2007 at 2:42 am
I have to admit that the first time I heard someone say that a quilt wasn’t a quilt if it was machine-quilted, I did laugh! I thought she was kidding, only to learn that she was very serious.
To me, a quilt can be very loosely defined, but I do have my limits, too. Like Debbie, I don’t think a store “comforter” is a true quilt. I think that if a quilt is made from a single piece of cloth, then that cloth had better be beautifully quilted, either by hand or machine.
On another note, some artists are almost offended if you call their quilted art, “quilts”. They like “quilted art” or something similar. It’s almost a slap in the face to them for us to call them quilts! Color me simple, but I think this is also going too far.
There are so many directions this one topic can take!!! And none of them, in my opinion, are wrong.
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck… it must be a duck!
May 16th, 2007 at 6:22 am
I got a chuckle out of your comment about people getting offended by what their quilts might be called. I had a hard time getting my sister to stop calling them blankets. She owned a decorating business and was offended when people referred to her window treatments as “curtains”. So one day I explained to her that referring to quilts as blankets was the same. She finally got it.
May 16th, 2007 at 8:45 am
I’m a quilter. Whatever I make and call a quilt - is one…..*S*
May 16th, 2007 at 10:42 am
Kathy, I am so glad you mentioned that!!! Whenever I hear quilts called “blankets”, I politely correct the person.
A quilt is NOT a blanket!
May 18th, 2007 at 8:03 am
I believe a quilt is the passion that made it. If you attend any of the shows, which we have plans to cover dozens this year, you see an amazing range of techniques. However, what makes quilting special to me is the quilting community’s appreciation for the artform expression. If you have received a quilt from a quilter, you have received one of the highest expressions of their love.
May 20th, 2007 at 11:28 am
I totally agree, Sue Ann! I often wonder when I give a quilt as a gift if the recipient understands exactly what he/she is receiving! The thought that goes into it, the time, the expense, the love, everything. Most of the time, I don’t think people realize the value (not monetarily) of a quilt they receive as a gift.
I think we are defining quilts as they should be: Taken one at a time with consideration given to the one making it.