A quilt has three layers-two layers of fabric filled with cotton or wool batting. The top layer has colorful fabrics made in geometric figures or pictures of peoples or objects. The backing is often made of muslin. The three layers are held together by hand or machine stitching.

 

     The earliest quilt still here today was made in 1718 with English patchwork. In America in the 17th and 18th centuries people used scraps or old clothes to make warm quilts.

 

     The Tumbling Blocks pattern is also known as Baby Blocks or Building Blocks. Made of 60-degree diamonds, it uses light, dark, and medium colors to make an optical illusion of three dimensions.

 

     Appliqué is a style of quilting, which is basically sewing fabric on to fabric. It adds another layer to the quilts.

 

     All of these things combined make our quilt!

     Mrs. Caldwell’s fifth grade class made a quilt using blocks, sashing, and posts. In each block is a tumbling block made with fusible appliqué. We used a Bernina sewing machine to stitch everything together. We got our materials from Colonial Quilts.

How to Make a Quilt