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Quilting is a sewing method done either by hand, by sewing machine, or by Longarm quilting system. The process uses a needle and thread to join two or more layers of material together to make a quilt. Typical quilting is done with three layers, the top fabric or quilt top, batting or insulating material and backing material. The quilter's hand or sewing machine passes the needle and thread through all layers and then brings the needle back up. The process is repeated across the entire piece where quilting is wanted. A straight or running stitch is commonly used and these stitches can be purely functional or decorative and elaborate. Quilting is done on bed spreads, art quilt wall hangings, clothing, and a variety of textile products. Quilting can make a project puffy, or with dense quilting, can raise one area so that another stands out.

Contents 1 History 2 Quilting types and equipment 3 Quilting's functions and process 4 Notable quilters 5 Quilting groups 6 Specialty quilting styles 7 Quilting software 8 See also

Main article: history of quilting

There is a common belief that quilting originated for its utility rather than decoration. The origins of this method of craft are thought to be in the Crusades, when soldiers needed warmth as well as protection from the chafing caused by heavy armor. Additionally, there are ancient Egyptian sculptures showing figures which appear to be wearing clothing which is quilted, possibly for warmth in the chilly desert evenings. In the 14th century, the gambeson was a popular form of armour.

In American Colonial times most women were busy spinning, weaving and making clothing. Meanwhile women of the wealthier classes prided themselves on their fine quilting of wholecloth quilts with fine needlework. Quilts made during the early 1800s were not constructed of pieced blocks but instead whole cloth quilts. Broderie perse quilts and medallion quilts were made. Some antique quilts made in North America have worn-out blankets or older quilts as the internal batting layer, quilted between new layers of fabric and thereby extending the usefulness of old material.

During American Pioneer days "paper" quilting became popular. Paper was used as a pattern and each individual piece of cut fabric was basted around the paper pattern. Paper was a scarce commodity in the early American west and women would save letters from home, newspaper clippings, and catalogs to use as patterns. The paper not only served as a pattern but as an insulator. The paper found between the old quilts has become a primary source about pioneer life. Quilts made without any insulation or batting were referred to as summer quilts. They were not made for warmth, only to keep the chill off on cooler summer evenings. Harriet Powers, a slave-born African American woman, made two famous story quilts. She was just one of the many African American quilters who contributed to the evolution of quilting.

The Quilts of Gees Bend offers another piece of quilt history. This exhibit showcased the history of quilts made by African American women living in Gee's Bend Alabama. These quilts were made for warmth and use.

In modern times, art quilts have started to become popular for their aesthetic and artistic qualities rather than for functionality (i.e., they are displayed on a wall rather than spread on a bed).

Many types of quilting exist today. The two most widely used are hand-quilting and machine quilting.

Hand Quilting is the process of using a needle and thread to sew a running type stitch by hand across the entire area to be quilted. This binds the layers together. A quilting frame or hoop is often used to assist in holding the piece being quilted, off the quilter's lap. A quilter can make one running stitch at a time. Another option is called a rocking stitch, where the quilter has one hand, usually with a finger wearing a thimble, on top of the quilt, while the other hand is located beneath the piece to push the needle back up. The third option is called "loading the needle" and involves doing four or more stitches before pulling the needle through the cloth. Hand quilting is still practiced by the Amish within the United States, and is enjoying a resurgence worldwide.

Machine Quilting is the process of using a home sewing machine or a Longarm machine to sew the layers together. With the home sewing machine the layers are tacked together before quilting. This involves laying the top, batting and backing out on a flat surface and either pinning (using large safety pins) or tacking the layers together. Longarm Quilting involves placing the layers to be quilted on a special frame. The frame has bars on which the layers are rolled, keeping these together without the need for basting or pinning. These frames are used with a professional sewing machine mounted on a platform. The platform rides along tracks so that the machine can be moved across the layers on the frame. A Longarm machine is moved across the fabric. In contrast, the fabric is moved through a home sewing machine.

Tying is another technique of fastening the three layers together (and is not a form of quilting at all). This is done primarily on quilts that are made to be used and are needed quickly. The process of tying the quilt is done with yarns or multiple strands of thread. Square knots are used to finish off the ties so that the quilt may be washed and used without fear of the knots coming undone.

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• Traditional quilting involves a process that has four steps: piecing, layering, quilting, and binding. Piecing is the sewing of the quilt top, which is composed of small pieces of cloth arranged in a pattern. A unit of the pattern is called a block. These blocks are sewn together, either edge to edge, or with separator strips of cloth called sashing. In some quilts, a whole piece of cloth is used for the top layer, so piecing is not done. Layering places the quilt's backing, batting, and top in place. Quilting involves attaching the three layers together as well as adding decorative elements. Binding completes the quilt by finishing the edges with a trim of fabric. Sometimes borders are added before the binding is done.

• Quilting is usually done starting from the middle, going out to the edges. Most frequently, quilting is done along seam lines (i.e., stitching in the ditch).

• Quilting can be done over a simple geometric grid or using more complex designs such as tessellations. The gridwork of stitches traps air in the material, making it much warmer than a single layer of fabric would be, or even the layers separately.

• Quilting can also be used as a form of elaborate decoration, where the stitching creates complex designs and patterns, with or without the use of color. Many draw the design they plan to quilt on the quilt top before stitching, while others stitch "freehand".

• While the majority of quilt tops are pieced (patchwork quilt), elaborate quilting can be done on a top layer composed of only a single piece of fabric (whole cloth quilt). Chintz, sateen and other shiny fabrics are often used for the top layer since these enhance the intricacy of detailed quilting.

• Quilting is very often combined with embroidery, patchwork, appliqué and other forms of needlework.

• Sandy Bonsib
• Kaffe Fassett
• Harriet Powers

• American Quilter's Society
• Crossroads Quilters
• Long Island Quilter's Society
• Empire Quilters NYC

• Shadow or Echo Quilting - Hawaiian Quilting, where quilting is done around an appliquéd piece on the quilt top, then the quilting is echoed again and again around the previous quilting line.
• Ralli Quilting - Indian quilting, often associated with the Gujarat region.
• Sashiko quilting - Japanese quilting
• Trapunto quilting - stuffed quilting, often associated with Italy.
• Shadow trapunto- This involves quilting a design in fine Lawn and filling some of the spaces in the pattern with small lengths of colored wool.
• Tivaevae or tifaifai - A separate and distinct art form practised in the Pacific, especially the Cook Islands.
• Watercolor Quilting - A sophisticated form of scrap quilting whereby uniform sizes of various prints are arranged and sewn to create a picture or design. See also Colorwash.

• EQ6
• PC Quilt
• Quiltsoft
• QuiltPro
• Quilting Studio
• SewPrecise

• Broderie perse
• Counterpane
• Duvet
• Tessellation
• Mathematics and fiber arts

v • d • e Layered textiles
Quilting:	Baltimore album · Crazy quilting · Hawaiian quilt · Patchwork quilt · Quilting · Quilts · Ralli quilt · Sashiko quilting · Trapunto
Patchwork:	Patchwork · Possum-skin cloak
Applique:	Applique · Broderie perse · Mola
History and works:	History of quilting · International Quilt Study Center · NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt · Quilts of the Underground Railroad · The Quilts of Gees Bend