Quilting is the name for a type of sewing which consists of layering a top fabric (also called the quilt top), the batting or insulating material and the backing material and sewing them together either by hand or with a sewing machine.

The needles and thread are passed through all the layers and accross the entire piece. The stitching can be just functional or very elaborate and decorative.

You can find traditionally quilted bed spreads, wall hangings, clothes and the most magnificent wall hangings.

Different types of quilting :

Hand Quilting - Tying - Machine Quilting

Hand quilting is usually done with the aid of a hoop to keep the quilt in place while using different stitches such as the running stitch, the rocking stitch or the "loading the needle" technique.

Machine quilting can be done with a regular home sewing machine or a special Longarm Quilting machine.

Wiith machine quilting, the layers are pinned or tacked together and then sewn.

With Longarm quilting the layers are put on a special frame with with bars on which the layers are rolled omiting the need for pinning or tacking.

The frames are then used on a professional sewing machine.

The biggest difference between a regular sewing machine and the Longarm is that the fabric is moved through a home sewing machine whereas the Longarm machine is moved accross the fabric.

Tying is a form of hand quilting. It is merely used to create functional pieces which need to be made quickly.

Instead of sewing the layers together, yarns or threads are tied through the different layers using square knots to prevent the knots from coming loose when the quilt is used or washed.

It is believed that the quilting technique was first used at the times of the crusades when soldiers needed some padded material underneath their heavy armour to prevent chafing, and also to give them some warmth under the cool metal.

Quilted jackets are widely depicted on medieval paintings when they were called gambesons.

In early days it was considered an activity for the wealthier among the population since working classes were merely spinning and weaving to make clothes and cloth.

Various steps in Quilting :

piecing - layering - quilting - binding

Piecing is what is otherwise known as patchwork : sewing small pieces of cloth arranged in a pattern to form the quilt top. (Finished patchwork pieces are not necessarily made into a quilt and do exisit in their own right)

Certain quilts are made by using a whole piece of cloth which does then not require any piecing to be done.

Placing all the different layers in their correct position together is called layering.

The actual quilting is the process of sewing or tying the various layers together. At this stage embellishments are added.

Borders and/or trim fabric are added to the rims to give the pieces a finished look. This is called binding.