| To introduce a little piece of history into your
bedroom, cover your memory foam mattress topper with an
American quilt. What is a quilt?
The word quilt is derived from the Latin ’culcita’, meaning
a padded and tied mattress. Quilting is a needlework
technique involving two or more layers of fabric, usually
sandwiched with padding of some sort, stitched together in a
decorative pattern. Today memory foam mattresses are more
likely to be adorned with a ‘throw’, the modern equivalent
of a bedspread, and in the UK we may refer to our duvets as
quilts, from the term ‘continental quilt’.
A History
If you are a fan of the traditional quilt as part of the bed
linen covering your memory foam mattress topper, you may be
interested in some quilt history:
1 The first known quilted object is a carpet thought to have
originated in Asia between the 6th and 9th centuries
2 It is thought that the crusaders brought quilting to
Europe from the Middle East
3 Quilted clothing and armour began to appear in the 14th
century, much of it made in Italy
4 The inventory of Henry VIII’s households listed dozens of
quilts, including one made for his first wedding
5 There is a reference in a French inventory of 1297 to a
ship captain in Marseilles owning a ‘courtepointe’ or quilt.
The Pioneers
The quilt was at the centre of the social life for many
pioneer women in the US. They often lived in isolated
regions, and coming together to work on a quilt meant that
they didn’t lose contact entirely with the outside world.
Quilts were made as gifts for family, or for girls who were
about to be married. Some quilts were signed by the makers
so that the recipient could remember her friends, and quilts
were passed along as a family heirloom. When you cover your
memory foam mattress topper with your American quilt, spare
a thought for the traditional aspects of quilt-making.
20th Century Art
During the 20th century the American quilt was transformed
from a practical covering to a work of art. All over
America, contests are held to find the most beautiful quilt,
and exhibitions exist to promote the art form. If your
American quilt is casually draped over your memory foam
mattress, maybe you should show it a little more respect!
Having a go
There are literally thousands of quilting patterns, some of
which are very complicated, but some are simple enough for
beginners to have a go at. A good tip is to trawl jumble
sales and charity shops to source your fabric, and start
small – it may be a little ambitious to aim for a cover for
your memory foam mattress topper on your first foray into
quilting.
To order your Prima Comfort memory foam mattress toppers and
pillows today
call 01664 485013 or click the button below.
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