Charm Quilts - A Magical and Charming Pastime
October 1, 2006
Charm Quilts usually feature a single shape, such as a square, hexagon or diamond, with no two patches cut from the same fabric. Creating these enchanting quilts was originally popular from 1860 - 1900.
Charm Quilts are the type of quilt you only do once. It can be an enormous undertaking to accumulate the sheer number of fabric bits, each different, to complete this quilt.
The collecting is probably a large part of the appeal of a Charm Quilt, similar to that of “Charm Strings”. In the late 1800’s, the gift of a button was considered lucky and young girls collected and traded buttons. Strung upon a string, every one of the buttons was different, each a special memento.
Collecting is a pastime many enjoy, with the challenge being to acquire as many different examples of an item as possible.
Scraps of fabrics gathered and traded with friends and relatives, sewn into a quilt, would have been an appealing hobby for young women. It would also be a reminder of pleasant times and the loved ones.
These quilts were at times called Beggar Quilts, referring to the method of attaining the fabrics. The name Charm Quilt is more common, and may have originated with the belief that pieces that came from so many hands possessed good fortune. The finished quilt acquired a magical quality - to be charmed or to bring good luck.
Renewed interest in this type of quilt began with the creation of Millennium Quilts in recent times - a version of a Charm Quilt with 2000 different fabric squares.
Just think how much fun it would be to collect, trade and touch so many different prints. To get started on your Charm Quilt go through your own stash. If you are a real fabric-holic you may be able to make a Charm Quilt from your own stash.
After you look at your own scraps for a while, go and look at another quilter’s scraps. You will notice that some of hers would go well with yours. You suggest a swap. As a fabric lover never forgets where a fabric came from, a bit of history begins to creep into your project.
Charming and charmed, a quilt with no two pieces alike is fun to organize, and fairly simple to make. This is a great chance to use all kinds of pieces - have a go. Start collecting today to begin on your memories for tomorrow.
Pauline Rogers has travelled throughout Australia and New Zealand for over 20 years, teaching the art of patchwork and quilting. She operates an award winning shop, Country Fabrics and Quilters, in Toowoomba, Queensland as well as a successful mail order and online service. She founded Quiltfest, an annual quilting event and Margie’s Quilts of Hope, a quilting challenge which raises funds for breast cancer research. Visit her website at http://www.cfaq.com.au.
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