A Very Short History of Quilting

by Steffani McChesney

Quilting, the act of sewing two pieces of fabric together with some padding in between, has been around for at least 6,000 years. The basic idea was, and still is, to cover the three layers with a sufficient number of stitches to have the effect of a single, rather dense piece of fabric.

This three-layer “sandwich” has been used for armor, outer garments for warmth, mattresses, bedcovers and wall hangings for both warmth and decoration, and even floor coverings.

The noun quilt derives from the Latin culcita or culcitra meaning a sack, mattress or cushion filled with a stuffing. That stuffing could be hair, feathers, wool or straw. The function of the quilted object usually prescribed the stuffing to be used.

Early armor was padded with cotton, linen or wool, tightly packed to deflect a sword blade. Cotton and linen were preferred because they were stronger than wool and afforded the wearer better protection. Wool had other drawbacks too. It was liable to moths and provided a happy home to all types of vermin. If wool was the only available material, a soaking in vinegar was recommended because it was said to increase resistance to iron.  It actually only increased resistance to lice but who wanted to go into battle smelling like a salad? Too bad they didn’t have polyester.

Our pioneer ancestors used whatever was available. Everything from straw to newspapers to old clothing. Worn-out blankets and quilts have also been found inside old quilts. On the frontier you used what you could get.