Sunday, February 23, 2014

Get Creative With The Help Of An Online Quilting Store

By Jerri Perry


A quilt is the ultimate comforter. It provides warmth whether you have it on your bed or whether you wrap yourself in it. Moreover, making one is a great way to release your creative streak and to use up scraps of fabric. If you need some color in your life and are looking for a great way to while away cold winter evenings, look no further than an online quilting store.

People have been making quilts for many centuries. A quilt used as a covering for a floor was discovered in Mongolia and dated to more than two thousand years ago. An even older quilt was a garment found on a five-thousand-year-old carving from the time of the Pharaohs in Egypt. It was during medieval times that the craft took off in Europe after knights came back from the Crusades with quilted garments.

Quilts as bed coverings date from the late Middle Ages. However, they're usually associated with colonial times. In faraway colonies like America and the Cape Colony, fabrics were expensive and difficult to get. For this reason, women made sure that nothing went to waste and they used up scraps to make lovely quilts. Sometimes a quilt was used to tell a story or to convey a secret message.

The defining characteristic of a quilt is that it consists of stitching through three layers of fabric. At the bottom there is the backing, in the middle you'll find the batting and at the top is the design. The batting can be thick for a warm, padded quilt or it can be thin so that the quilt will be light.

You can use almost any fabric to make a quilt. Some people use luxurious velvet or satin, for instance. For that vintage look, printed cottons from the Depression era are very popular. Of course the real thing would be very expensive and for this reason many fabric stores sell more affordable reproductions of vintage prints. If you shop online, you may buy a special kit to create a specific quilt but you can also come up with your own designs.

Online suppliers of fabrics for quilting often sell other items too. You may order batting, backing and even the tools you'll need to create your quilt, such as scissors. If you need inspiration, buy a book or individual patterns too.

Creating a quilt is very easy. The craft is simple to learn and there are many websites that offer tips and advice. Even tutorials on everything from the basics to more advanced techniques are only a click away.

When you take up quilting, you may be surprised at the many possibilities of this craft. A great idea is to get a group of quilters together to quilt socially, trading tips and ideas. You may even decide to work on a joint project such as a big story quilt or a wall hanging. Another idea is to start a small business where you sell your quilts or make ones to order. It all starts with a visit to an online quilting store.




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