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Quilting is a form of artistic expression that can also be used as a form of non-verbal communication. If one were to really study the quilts made throughout the centuries, he/she would learn much about the lives of people from that given era. Quilts historically have preserved family stories within the squares. Traditional designs were often named after historical events, political figures, foreign countries, or even houses or items lying around the farm eg: “log cabin, “ “turkey track,” “wedding ring.” In order to deal with the multiple hardships that come along with life, and the lack of control and power they had over their own lives, the pioneer women quilted. These quilts provided and acceptable medium through which they could express themselves. Quilting has now gone far beyond the original designs and into an abstract art form. Most quilts today have the basic concepts of art; Color, Shape, texture, composition, and balance. Simplified, does this mean that quilts are art? (Cronin, 1998, p.2) Quilting has always been a large part of cultures. Natives Americans would sew large pieces of animal hide together to make blankets and clothing. The oldest surviving quilt dates back to 1726, but quilting goes far beyond that. Between 1775 and 1789, quilts with patriotic themes became popular; they usually depicted battle scenes, heroes, and symbols of the revolution. Memorial quilting was another popular technique that still goes on today. One of many types of memorial quilting is the Blue Star Service Banners, also known as Blue Star Flags. Family members would hang these banners in the windows of their homes to honer a family member who was away at war. This tradition was most common in the WWI and WWII era. A blue star is placed on a white background with a red border. If a family has more then one person in the armed services the stars are added, usually one below the other. If a soldier is killed in action, the blue star is replaced with a gold star or they would place a smaller gold star on top of a blue star so that both colors are showing. (Blue star banners and quilts, 2003, p.1) Because of recent events in the news, an organization called the Blue Star Mothers and Gold Star Mothers. The organization consists of members who volenteer in various ways to help support our troops.(p.2) In 1793, the cotton gin revolutionized the cotton industry. From there, the fabric and thread factories bloomed. In 1814 the first power loom was installed in factories. By the 1820’s, quilting became more then a chore, it became a hobby. Women would sit in a large circle and quilt for hours at a time, starting what is now called a “quilting bee”. (A timeline in quilting history of America, 2003) As pioneer women made their way across the Oregon Trail, they developed a new style of quilting called patchwork.
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