Patchwork and quilting.

Patchwork refers to the pieces of fabric joined together in a way to form larger piece designed and sewn according to one or more existing techniques. Quilting is the joining some layers of fabric (at least three) together to form a padded piece. While the patchwork can be made without quilting and the quilting without piecing, these two techniques are so intertwined that many people can use them indistinctly applying to the same thing.

Wholecloth quilted baby blanket

Pieced christmas ornament

Short history

It is used to think a patchwork and quilting is a Western traditions, although there are many cultures which have it in its history, particularly in the Middle East and Asia and may date back to ancient Egypt. The first known quilted object is a linen quilted carpet from Siberian cave dated first century CE. In the West padded garments were worn underneath metal armor. Later it was used as bed covering and wall hangings. Actually, besides the traditional patterned quilts the piecing and quilting techniques along with another decorative techniques such as appliqué or stitching are used to create art objects.

Quilted wall hanging
with appliqué

Tools and materials

Usually cotton fabric is used to make quilts, but some artistic creations can be made with different texture fabrics and threads and introducing hard materials like buttons, beans etc. There's a lot of trends producing special quilting fabrics and wadding. Basic tools to get started are marking tool like a chalk or pencil, ruler, scissors, needles and thread. You can piece and quilt by hand or with sewing machine and you will need an iron to press seams.

Silk Quilted Textile Cuff

Crazy patchwork embellished bag

Techniques

Very many techniques of piecing exists. Some of the most typical are American hand-pieced patchwork, Log Cabin, easy squares and rectangles blocks, string and Seminole patchwork, foundation piecing, English paper piecing, Japanese folded patchwork, Crazy patchwork and a lot of appliqué and embellishment techniques. It can be used straight seams, inset seams and curve seams. There are different ways of quilting. Hand quilting has a more beautiful volume effect, and machine quilting is more fast. Free-hand machine quilting can be very creative, its like painting with a needle.

Hand quilted pot holder

Machine quilted pot holder

Care and storage.

Do not wrap quilts in plastic, store them flat in a cotton pillowcase
and refold them every few months with the folds in a different place
padding them with rolls of acid free paper. Avoid direct sunlight
exposure. Quilts can be hand and machine washed using a mild detergent
and a cool wash setting. It can be tumble-dried. Dry quilts spreading
it on towels if possible, especially heavy ones.

Story by Nata (RizalaYa)