Quilting traditions are particularly prominent in the United States, where the necessity of creating warm bedding met the paucity of local fabrics in the early days of the colonies.
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(In modern English, the word "quilt" can also be used to refer to an unquilted duvet or comforter.) Quilts may contain valuable historical information about their creators, "visualizing particular segments of history in tangible, textured ways." In the twenty-first century, quilts are frequently displayed as non-utilitarian works of art but historically quilts were often used as bedcovers and this use persists today.
The pattern and color of these pieces creates the design. A single piece of fabric can be used for the top of a quilt (a "whole-cloth quilt"), but in many cases the top is created from smaller fabric pieces joined together, or patchwork. Stitching patterns can be a decorative element. This is the process of sewing on the face of the fabric, and not just the edges, to combine the three layers together to reinforce the material. These layers traditionally include a woven cloth top, a layer of batting or wadding, and a woven back combined using the techniques of quilting. Commonly three layers are used with a filler material. Ī quilt is a multi-layered textile, traditionally composed of two or more layers of fabric or fiber. Bill Stagg of Pie Town, New Mexico with state quilt.