Quilting, like fashion, evolves with the times. Like any work of art, too, it also has its own traditional classics, innovations, and varied influences.
The inspiration for these styles is as different as the people who made them, their history, and their dependence on the materials and fabrics on hand. The following are some of the major quilting styles that had become staples.
Knowing them is a good step for a beginner. It can eventually help develop your very own style in the end.
Baby quilts
This is one of the all-time favorites. Baby quilts become treasured mementos when their users (who were once babies) become older.
Experienced quilters tell us that babies tend to like the feel of satin and the flannel-like materials. Since this would sound like the finished quilt is going to be used (and washed) a lot, make sure that you use durable materials and threads.
Rag quilts
Todays latest in the quilting circles are rag quilts. These are quick to make and fun-looking. They are distinctly refreshing in their conscious break from traditional designs.
They tend to combine lots of medium-sized blocks sewn together, patchwork style. It mixes unusual materials often overlooked in quilting (denims, flannel, polar fleece, etc).
Patchwork quilts
This old standard beauty is made by sewing together little patches of fabrics, and in different sizes and shapes. Generally, they are to make a pattern or blocks of pattern.
The quilt blocks are then sewn to become the quilt top. The quilt is then made after this process.
Christmas quilts
Another standard favorite are the Christmas quilts. Traditionally, it is always a good idea to use plain white backgrounds and utilizing blazing red and cool green fabrics.
Gold and silver are acceptable as accents. Christmas motifs (bells, holly, flowers, etc) are not encouraged, though.
Amish quilts
One of the most beautiful and inspiring quilts are those made by the Amish people. Their original patterns (tree of life, star of Bethlehem, double wedding ring, etc) have been replicated and used all over the world.
The quilts are famous for their simple yet striking designs, as well as for their intricate quilting styles. Thick batting are traditional and their finished quilts are very tidy.
Memory quilts
Like its name, memory quilts are made for remembrances and celebrations of lives of loved ones, loved events, or some memorable occasions mostly connected with the family.
Birthdays, weddings, births, deaths, anniversaries all the reasons to commemorate an event is memorialized in a quilt to extend that particular memory.
Cathedral window quilts
These are the quilts inspired by the beautiful shapes and patterns of stained glass windows in churches all over the world.
Most copied are the window panes. The quilts are made from muslin or cheesecloth. The choice of cloth is to simulate the translucent effect of light generated by a real church window. The window frames are made from heavier cottons or calicos.
Other quilt styles
More and more styles are coming up every so often. The last of the popular ones include the Civil War, Hawaiian, Photo Memory and the Scrap quilts.
Today, there are more quilting styles than can be listed as there are hybrids being produced almost every day.