The AIDS Memorial Quilt
The AIDS Memorial Quilt
Do quilts have race?
The quilting bee in myth and reality
Supplying quilters with all they demand and more
American quilts reflect global influences
What defines American quilts? Fabrics? Patterns? Techniques? Workmanship? The people who make them? Those who sleep under them?
Quilts have become quintessentially American objects, but they have not always covered Americans’ beds. Once they got started making them, Americans developed a special relationship with quilts. They have produced them in a multitude of formats and have used them for a variety of purposes, from practical to symbolic. Whole cloth, mosaic, medallion, block style, Crazy, utility, prizewinning, political, crib, bed, wall—Americans have done them all.
Here is the story of American quilts.
 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. |