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Using A Quilt Wall Hanging In Your Home

18th Nov 2010

A quilt wall hanging has been a popular form of home decor for many years. The Early American Style in the United States, with its blond wood furniture of oak and pine and its rustic colors in paint and fabric, was ideally suited to hanging a vintage quilt on the wall. As well, the beauty of a handmade quilt, and the traditional geometric design, makes these handicrafts compatible with even modern ideas of home decoration.

Quilts, made in the early days by women who faced a shortage of both fabric and time, are made of many pieces joined together. This sort of project, which can be made of scraps, outworn clothing, and old bedding that needs to be recycled, can be picked up for a short period of time and put down again when duty calls. However, women in all walks of life found time for reflection and an outlet for their creative talents in this useful domestic art.

Over the years many colorful patterns and a tradition of fine, almost invisible stitches brought this utilitarian object to the level of fine art. The desire to spend so much time and attention to detail has been lost by many, but we all still can appreciate the level of skill and dedication that a fine quilt represents. Old and fragile quilts, too delicate to use on a bed, are protected and highly visible on a wall; the most fragile are often framed for preservation.

Even in the old days, quilts were often hung on the wall. Young girls often did small examples of traditional patterns to learn the techniques of piecing and stitching, and these projects were displayed on the walls because they were beautiful to look at. The love of quilting has come down through the years to us today.

Colorful and interesting, quilts are often a mix of skill and nostalgia. A crib blanket, quilted by a devoted family member for a baby, will be too small for a toddler’s bed but makes a wonderful decoration for a child’s room or the hallway outside. Making a bed covering out of outgrown blue jeans – with the ripped knees sometimes preserved – can be fun for the room of a boy or a tomboy.

Although many quilters, and some cultures like the Amish and the Mennonites, still use the old patterns and skillful needlework, there are many shortcuts to quilt making available today. Kits with preset patterns, bordering and backing material, and cotton batting for filler are sold in fabric shops and online. Many new designs are pictorial rather than geometric. Some quilts can even be made without stitching, or a pieced top can be shipped off to be quilted by workers skilled in the art. Many an unfinished project can be salvaged in this way.

Quilts are not as useful in this day of mass produced blankets and downy comforters. However, quilt wall hangings are still unique gifts, treasured heirlooms, fun projects, and interesting room decorations.

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