Quilting has been around for hundreds of years. A lot of people think of a quilt as a collection of fabric scraps sewn into some sort of design, and then sewn to another piece of cloth to give it some weight. But the truth is that a quilt is simply two pieces of fabric placed on either side of a piece of filling (like batting) and sewn or tied together. If you took two old bed sheets, put an old blanket or towel in the middle, and sewed 'em together somehow, you'd have a quilt. (But not a great one.)
Since the mid-1970s the resurgence of interest in quilting has created a huge industry. A quiltmaker in 1970 didn't have very many options available to her; a quilter today has a choice of thousands of top-grade cotton fabrics created specifically for quilters, carried by hundreds of stores across the country, or found on dozens of on-line quilt stores. There are more pattern books available than you could ever find room for in your house; there are several quilt-design computer programs available.
And they keep coming up with more ....
Here is an ever-growing list of links and resources that I have found particularly valuable, in no particular order. Please feel free to email if you have an addition or correction.
| http://www.equilter.com |
Fabulous online source for fabrics and quilting supplies. |
| http://www.bighornquilts.com | Another good one! |
| http://www.tatteredrabbit.com | And another ... |
| http://www.keepsakequilting.com | One of the best brick-and-mortar stores around, with a first-rate catalogue |
| http://www.reproductionfabrics.com | Just what it sounds like |
| http://www.hancocks-paducah.com | There is no other store like it. It's worth the trip to Paducah just to see it. Really. |
| http://www.sweettreat.com | Pincushion Boutique in David, California -- one of the best vendors at any quilt show. They have just about the best fabric packets on the market -- what an eye for color! |
| http://www.dharmatrading.com | Dharma is fabulous! This is the place to go for PFD fabrics and the dyes and paints with which to create wonderful things. They have superb service and a great selection. |
| http://www.missingfabrics.com | Tricia Knox, the keeper of this site, is a saint. If you're trying to find a fabric that is too old to be on the market anymore, you can post a notice on this site and with luck someone will have the fabric and will sell it to you (or swap you for it.) |
| http://www.rosiescalicocupboard.com | OK -- this is the only store listed that isn't an online resource. But look at the Web site anyway; it's worth the trip to San Diego to go to this store. It's not just that Rosie can charge 10-20% less for fabric -- it's that there is so much fabric ... going to this store is an all-day pilgrimage! |
| http://www.ritasquilts.com | Quilting tips and lessons by Rita Denenberg. |
| http://quilting.about.com ... logcabin2.htm | Lessons on log cabin quilts |
| http://www.quiltsguilds.com | A list of quilt guilds and shows throughout the country. |
| http://www.quiltchannel.com | Collection of general quilting links on the Web. |