Welcome to Cat’s Quilt Art

Cat’s Quilt Art is a site where quilts are remembered and admired for their unique artistic beauty and contribution to the world of art. Please join in the friendly, ongoing discussion of the quilting arts.

Take a journey with me into the past as we immerse ourselves in the continuing saga of women and their craft of quilt making. I have often asked myself the question, “What is it that makes quilting today such a thriving industry that appeals to women of all ages, as well as many men?” No doubt, the availability of fabric, thread, patterns, sewing gadgets, computerized sewing machines, and longarm quilting machines has contributed to its popularity. But, it goes deeper than that. In addition to providing warmth and comfort, quilts are artful expressions of daily life. Every quilt tells a story through its
theme, design, and color palette.

The log cabin quilt is a case in point of beautiful quilt art. According to American history, it may have become popular during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, “the log cabin president,” or more likely after his assassination in 1865. It is said that the quilt block represents a log cabin on the prairie with a red square in the center for the fire in the cabin’s hearth. Rectangular strips of fabric represent the logs from which the cabin was built. Light value fabrics are on one side of the block for the sunny side of the cabin, and dark value fabrics on the opposite side for the shady side of the cabin. The blocks can be set together in numerous ways — Barn Raising, Sunshine and Shadows, Straight Furrow, to name a few. These many different log cabin quilt designs account for the broad appeal this quilt still has today among beginning and advanced quilters alike.

History is rich with the stories of women and their quilt art. And, the simple art of quilting remains alive and well in the creative expression of today’s modern woman.

Nostalgically yours,

Cat

Last modified: August 11, 2010

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