Patchwork

History

The realization of the patchwork had initially a practical goal of re-use of various fabric fragments resulting from cuttings necessary for other work.

One found representations very old in India and Egypt. The tradition reports that in fact the crusades brought in Italy and in the south of France this technique found in Palestine.

Developed in Great Britain at the end of the 18th century, it developed with the the United States at the time of strong British immigration at the beginning of the 19th century.

In contact with the " anglaises" , the women Amish were interested by this mode of recovery which corresponded exactly to the principles of life of their community. The patchwork amish realized with plain and often dark fabrics, falls of fabrics traditionally used, constitute a particular style of the art of the patchwork and are very required.

Side of the Asia, the technique never seems to be extinct. If the technique of the shashiko is undoubtedly recent with the Japan, certain engravings testify to an old existence. In India and with the Pakistan, for example, there remain still craftsmen realizing of the patchworks of the type mola or Persian embroidery with applied stuck: the Ralli quilt of the edges of the Deserted of Thar.

One finds often on our premises on the markets, or on sale with the biddings, of the quilts (bedspread, chauffeuse) known as “authentic” realized by a cheap India or labor of the Eastern European countries even. Their distinctive sign is the aspect of the points of quilting very spaced and loose taking into account the need for making quickly. A neat quilting, with the worked out reasons, is the first mark of an authentic quilt.

Technique

types of patchwork

The traditional patchworks are either of the assembled , or of the applied .

Certain types of assembly bear specific names:

the mola says also applied reversed where the layers are dug to reveal the color in lower part;
the sampler composed of different blocks all;
the crazy uses parts with the irregular forms without references to the traditional reasons and where the seams between parts are often embroidered;
the seminole uses parts obtained by cutting with 45° or 60° of an assembly of parallel bands of various fabrics: the result is connected with the Harlequin suit;
the shashiko sometimes simple embroidery, sometimes assembly of parts with Japanese reasons but where, especially, the color of the wire of quilting must be in contrast with fabric.

Nevertheless, in this textile art, one will often find works composite which can be true figurative tables or not and combining a bottom of assembled elements supplemented by parts applied bent or even stuck. All the art of the completion will also lie in the reasons and the points used for the quilting which must emphasize the assembled parts.

traditional reasons (blocks)

They are rather numerous. Here are some:

leg of bear
Jacob's ladder
star of Ohio
basket
coat of Joseph
cants logs (log cabin)
plate of Dresden (dresden punt)
flight of goose

See too

Boutis

External bonds

Association France-Patchwork
Library of reasons and examples

Random links: