From global trade, to new technologies, to selling fabrics, patterns, and bedcovers, quilts have long meant business.

Cutting up fabric in order to stitch it back together in a pleasing way is inherently a creative act. What drives Americans to create quilts?

Who makes quilts? Explore how individual and group identity has shaped our relationship to these objects.

Quilts connect individuals and communities with one another. Discover how Americans use quilts to engage with their society.