July 3, 2009

Patchwork Fabrics For You To Produce An Elegant Touch For Your Curtains and Draperies

a target=”_blank” href=”http://www.laragrace.co.uk/patchwork_fabrics.html”>Patchwork fabrics are growing to be more common these days more than ever with the launch of TV shows concentrating on quilting.  They have reached a large audience and have continued to motivate others to discover the art and fun of patchworking.  Patchworks are meant for quilts, curtains, pillow cases, wall hanging and other things.  But did you know that they have an intense history coming from the time of the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt?

Quilting relics have been found in the unearthed tombs of pharaohs dated around 3,400 BC.  Settlers from Europe passed their quilting practices to America.  Around the world, people and countries have their own distinctive patchwork fabrics, from Amish to Hawaii to Pakistan and to Bangladesh.  Patch work or piece work is a creative way for people, typically women, to collect and sew together several materials and create a patchwork quilt.  Little cuts of fabric materials are pieced together to create a bigger fabric at a lesser time.  It also shows the various patchwork skills by those involved in the entire process. 

You will find different patterns and styles of patchworking in a single piece of fabric.  A piece of patchwork fabric material generally originate from two processes namely patchwork and quilting.  As explained earlier, patchworking is the putting together of leftovers of fabric materials to craft the surface of the quilt.  After this comes a sheet of padding which has a layer of fabric at the back and so creating a “sandwich” for quilting.  The layers are then quilted together to lock the filling and provide a covering for decoration for quilting stitches.  These designs can differ extensively, ranging from the simplest design to the most complicated and complex patterns. 

Amish designs are stunningly simple with more attention on colors as opposed to complex designs.  Bangladeshi quilts or patchwork, also called Kantha, have two or three cloths stitched together for depth and this is usually made before winter.  Hawaiian patchworks, on the other hand, are one piece cloths and not patchworks.  The designs are generally inspired by native Hawaiian animals and the most dominant shade is red.

The extensive history of patchwork and quilts are examples of ingenuity and the portrayal of the different cultures all over the world.  To tell the truth, patchworking has developed into an art form with a lot of artists and enthusiasts willing to disclose their creativity to the public.  There is another kind of patchworking which has developed in these modern times.  Recognized as art quilting or water color quilts, this is more similar to painting instead of the traditional way of patchworking.  Patchworks have found their use as a background on walls, pillow cases and bedspreads, but more so as curtain fabrics.  These supplement a classic touch to your draperies and curtains.

Filed under Home Interior Decorating by Interior Decorating Expert

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