When you think of country primitive crafts, you probably think of the old hand-made quilts of yesteryear. Or maybe you remember your grandmother’s face when she would knit a cover for a quilt or make a baby quilt out of one of her old blankets. Although there are plenty of beautiful pieces of contemporary primitive craft work, the designs and techniques of these older crafts still have relevance in today’s world. They are just presented in a slightly different way.
What many people don’t realize is that the older techniques were used to create the designs on primitive objects long before the Industrial Age. The designs and shapes that we now think of as “primitives” actually originated with early Native American cultures. For example, the hankie or the paw print quilt is a very common design that originates from the North American Indian tribes such as the Cherokee, Seminole, Okavango, Zuni, Hualapai and other tribes. The designs and shapes found on theses quilted blankets are similar to those found on today’s modern primitive crafts.
The differences between the modern primitive crafts and the old ones are in the process of how the fabric is made. Quilts made from primitive design patterns were typically handmade by women. While a large piece of cloth was sewn onto a frame, the person doing the sewing would decorate the fabric with beads, thread and other items that they had made by hand.
Today, quilting is often done on machines, using flat-shaped needles (that is threaded), yarn (that is knitted or crocheted), and other items. Some of these pieces of fabric may be made from a single color of fabric or a variety of colors. If it is a flat piece of fabric quilted in a particular pattern, the design is considered a primitive quilt.
While the designs from these quilts are no different than those found in contemporary quilters, there are some differences. One is that in earlier times quilts were made for specific reasons. A country quilt might be used for warmth. Other quilts were made as decorations for an interior room. The type of fabric that was used in a primitive country crafts would be much different than the fabric that is used today.
Although the concept of making quilts was used for the purpose of keeping people warm, the purpose of the quilt was to decorate the interior of the home. Most early quilts were decorated with objects such as figurines, flowers, or other natural items that helped the home become more appealing. Examples of these objects can be seen in old Western shows. Quilts were also made to ward off sickness. These quilts were made to hang on the bed, so that if anyone got ill, they could catch some of the quilt to make them feel better.
Many of the quilts that have been found recently to have been made using new materials. Some are made using fabric that is much lighter in weight than was used years ago. The colors that many of the quilts use today are bolder and more vivid. The old quilts were made with very basic colors, such as red, blue, black, white and cream. New advancements in the fabric used to make it possible for quilts to be made in nearly any color that a person would like.
Quilting is not just a hobby to people who enjoy it; it is now one of the most popular hobbies in the world. There is a market for quilts all over the world. Quilts are made for special holidays, such as Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day and even Halloween. There are also quilts that are made for special, occasions such as weddings. There are even quilts that are designed to commemorate the deceased.