My mother, my grandmother, and my great-grandmother have all been quilters. Growing up I didn’t appreciate the time the women in my family spent underneath a lamp studying the fine stitches they created one painstaking thread at a time. I didn’t understand why they would spend months focusing on these intricate details only to find a safe place for it later where little hands, dust bunnies, and the sun couldn’t reach it.
Now that I am grown, I appreciate the time they spent creating those quilts. I finally understand why they put them away; the sun, dust bunnies, and my dirty hands would have ruined their beautiful handmade quilts. Now that my grandmother and great-grandmother are gone, I cherish the memories I have of them. The memory of them will live on for generations in the beautiful quilts they left behind.
Due to technological advances, quilting can now be produced in masses. Mass production, however, has increased the value of those custom-designed, handmade quilts from the days of yore. However, this brings up the question “What about those quilts from days of yore?”
When a quilter makes a quilt completely by hand, the pieces of fabric (usually squares) are chosen for artistic reasons or a similar purpose. Mass produced quilts are made with efficiency rather than with the long life of a quilt in mind. With handmade quilts, however, the design and fabric that hold the squares together are chosen so that the quilts will last lifetimes.
The mass produced quilts that are available from retailers or online vendors are cheap, and production is fast. It may be possible to order a custom-made quilt in which you are allowed to choose the colors of the fabric, the design, and even where the pieces of fabric will be placed on the quilt. However, these types of quilts are produced quickly, and most of the time, they end up looking like most other quilts. Custom, handmade quilts are artistic, individually created just for you, and will last lifetimes.
A custom quilter can help you decide what colors and design will be best for your theme or idea. Since fiber artists put their names on such quilts, they obviously care that your quilt turns out beautifully. This will not be the case for a quilt that is mass-produced.
Although custom handmade quilts are more expensive and take longer to make than mass-produced quilts, this is the best option if you want a keepsake. You will get a beautiful quilt that will last so long that future generations will be able to hide this keepsake from the sun, dust bunnies, and the dirty hands of their children.
