About the Film
During pioneer times, quilting was primarily a way to use every scrap of cloth available, even after it started to tear and unravel. Cutting up old clothes, blankets, sheets and curtains and recycling them for warmth was primarily the task of the family matriarch. Eventually, women turned quilting into a social event, gathering for quilting bees that transformed a potentially long and tedious task into an efficient yet enjoyable time for social bonding. Since then, quilting has become a respected art form, though quilts have exhibited skill and artistry from the beginning. Ranging from the functional to the purely decorative, quilting today is taken up by diverse people for diverse reasons, some practical, some artistic and some social. This film explores the deep tradition of quilting in the U.S. with a focus on contemporary quilting. In doing so, the film considers both the tension between conservatism and dynamic change in quilt design, cloth, type of stitch and function, as well as the shifting social functions of this folk art form that balances utility with beauty. PERMISSION NOT REQUIRED FOR CLASSROOM USE
