Quilting

The art of quilting involves using a thread and needle to join or combine two or more layers of fabric, cloth or other flexible material together, to churn out a quilt. A quilt refers to a bedding variant that's made of many layers, and is usually made with a wide array of decorative designs. While some quilts are used primarily for bedding, many are utilized as decorative pieces that are hung on the wall, or displayed in the living room.

The Typical Quilting Process
During a standard quilting process, three layers are used. These include the top fabric or quilt, the insulating material, and the backing material. A quilter may use his or her hand, as well as a sewing machine, to pass the needle and thread into all the layers, as well as bring the needle back. The process of passing the needle through all layers and back is then repeated across the entire piece, Quilters may use a running or straight stitch, for producing quilts that nay have either functional or decorative uses. Quilting is done to make clothing, bed sheets, art wall deco, and a wide array of textile-based products as well.

Hand Quilting Versus Machine Quilting
Hand quilting involves the process of quilting that primarily uses needles and threads, which are sewn by hand across an area of fabric that's to be quilted. Hand quilters may utilize a frame or hoop, to help them hold together the piece of fabric being quilted. Hand quilters can make one running stitch, or they may perform a rocking stitch, wherein one hand is holding a thimble, while the other hand's beneath the fabric piece pushing the needle back. The third hand quilting option involves performing four or more stitches, before the needle is pulled through the cloth. This option is called loading the needle.
Machine quilting on the other hand, involves the process of utilizing a sewing machine, as well as a long-arm machine, to mechanically sew the pieces together. With using a sewing machine, layers of fabric are stacked together, wherein they are laid-out, batted and backed out on a flat surface, and then pinned using large safety pins. In machine quilting, a piece of fabric is moved through a sewing machine. In long-arm quilting however, the long-arm machine is moved across the piece of fabric instead.
History of Quilting
Taken from the Latin word "culcita", which referred to a tied or padded mattress, the art of quilting was invented to manufacture thicker padded fabrics, which were best used for generating warmth, as well as for protecting the wearer against the elements. The earliest evidence of quilting was discovered in Asia, and the earliest forms of quilted fabrics bore central motifs which featured animals, and also had a diamond-background that's quilted with a rough running stitch. An archeological find in Egypt discovered paintings of people who wear determined to be wearing quilted clothes, which was probably used for providing extra warmth during chilly desert nights. Quilted clothing and other objects didn't reach Europe until the 12th Century, when Crusaders bought with them these items after their conquests in the Middle East and Central Asia.

The quilted material brought by the Crusades then evolved into fashionable pieces of male clothing during the14th and 17th centuries. Quilted doublets then became fashion statements in countries like England, Germany, France and Italy. During the American colonial period, quilting became a hobby, as well as source of livelihood for working-class women. These items were prized by women coming from the wealthier classes, because of their fine needle work and designs.

Quilting has been a centuries-old tradition in countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and South Pacific nations like the Cook Islands. The Ralli quilts of India and Pakistan for example, combine patchwork, embroidery and appliqu‚, and are mostly given as gifts to their daughters on their wedding day. Bangladeshi quilts on the other hand, join together two or three pieces of cloth, and are made out of worn-out clothes or saris.