The art of quilting once played a much more prominent role in the lives of young men and women. The Bride Quilt and the Liberty Quilt teach us lessons from days gone by.
Our current lifestyle finds us shopping for a wedding gift at a local store; many people lack the time and patience to be able to create a meaningful gift with their own hands. Quilting is thought to be done mostly by older women who have retired and have more time to devote to such intense art; however, today younger women are once again enjoying the creativity of quilting. While this demographic makes up an incredibly important segment of the quilting community, others who enjoy the process are too often overlooked. Worse still, many people believe that this stereotype is typical of the historical quilter.
In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Not too long ago, quilting was considered an important endeavor not only for those who practiced it, but among communities at large. Creating a quilt was a skill achieved through years of practice, and while most had the skills to create a basic design, not all were truly masters. Additionally, quilting was an important activity for women of all ages, and many men also recognized the value of a quilt. Quilts were commonly used to mark the coming of age of both boys and girls, as evidenced by the idea of the bride quilt and the liberty quilt.
The bride’s quilt
In a time when many girls still brought a dowry to their weddings, quilts were an important inclusion in any hope chest. In fact, there were a certain number of quilts that needed to be included in any hope chest, ranging from ten to thirteen, according to Lenice Ingram Bacon’s American Patchwork Quilts. The most important of these quilts was the one made by the bride, according to her design and by her own hands.
As the bride and groom planned their first accommodation, there was rarely any doubt that the bride’s duvet would cover her first bed. At the time, a tradition of an engaged couple was to design a pattern for the quilt that would one day cover their marriage bed. It is clear from this effort that men had an active role, if not in the creation of the family quilt, then in the decision-making process that guided it. This may come as a surprise to many in today’s “his” and “her” world! Traditional bridal quilts often used the symbol of love, the heart, or a pattern with multiple hearts included. The late 1800s brought, through the influence (and impracticality) of Queen Victoria, a penchant for white for weddings. White bridal quilts have also gained a lot of popularity, according to Jean Noon, writing for UltimateWedding.com.
the quilt of freedom
If the role of a man in the Bride’s Quilt surprises you, you may be even more surprised to learn about the concept of the Freedom Quilt. Although today’s historians consider the pre-industrial male to be something of a free person by gender law, the fact is that many men lived in the servitude of their parents until they reached the age of majority. On his 21st birthday, a boy was a man in the eyes of the law and therefore truly free to make his own way and keep his own money. One way the celebration was marked was through the creation of the Freedom Quilt. This quilt was usually made by family or friends, especially the young man’s mother, and had great symbolic meaning. Once such an instance cited in Mrs. Bacon’s book, the man’s quilt was made entirely of squares sewn together by swooning, hopeful young ladies.
Like the bride’s quilt, the liberty quilt was used on the matrimonial bed and was usually given to the groom on the day of their marriage.
Throughout history and still today, quilts like the bride quilt and liberty quilt often celebrate important events in the lives of those for whom they are quilted. Interestingly, both men and women participated in the quilting bees, even sewing, although we often think of it as a women’s trade. No matter the gender, a quilt can become a family heirloom.