Lesson Plan: Quilting in North Carolina

The history of quilt making in North Carolina spans four centuries and has been shaped by Tar Heels of nearly every ethnic group and social class. At its simplest, quilting involves stitching or tying a layer of batting between two pieces of fabric. But makers' differing resources, styles, and intentions have resulted in a vast diversity of expressions over the course of North Carolina's history. Upper-class European settlers initially brought quilt making to the American colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries. Imported fabric cost dearly, and only women of means could afford the large pieces of silk and chintz used to create popular styles. Rather, most families used blankets or coverlets for warmth. Relative to other colonies, North Carolina did not develop a particularly rich quilting tradition during this early period. The region's challenging geography slowed in-migration and did little to foster the growth of a large moneyed class. Even after statehood and through the antebellum period, the tenuous infrastructure, poor transportation, and overwhelming ruralness that contributed to North Carolina's reputation as the "Rip Van Winkle State" also resulted in the creation of fewer quilts of exceptional artistry than in other parts of the young nation. Further, the South's humid climate and abundant pests limited the survival rates of early textiles from that region, leaving scholars fewer examples to study and analyze.