An amazing article (not just for quilters!)
National Park Service Quilt Along and Quilting History
Great Smoky Mountains National Park posted this article on the National Parks site. National Parks are keepers of history and we need to support them. And, have some fun if you are a quilter (or know one).
Welcome to Fabric of Appalachia, where American history is stitched together one quilt block at a time!
Appalachia is known for music, storytelling, beautiful mountains, and patchwork quilts. Although the history of quilting stretches back 5000 years, block-style quilts were uncommon until the industrial revolution made a palette of new affordable fabrics available, and quilters developed what we now think of as a uniquely American folk art. Block patterns were often given names that reflected everyday objects, current events, or spiritual beliefs.
Each block pattern section also contains historical references and information, such as:
In Appalachia, European immigrants and indigenous people lived in close proximity, so it’s no surprise that their design aesthetics began to influence one another. Native people had a long tradition of expressing themselves through textiles such as weaving, basket-making, and animal hides; while European immigrants brought quilting skills with them when they moved into the mountains. As cultures touched, knowledge was passed back and forth and quilters began to innovate, developing a distinctive block-style quilt. American quilters had made quilting their own.
If you would like to read the article in its entirety, see the blocks and instructions (and the finished quilt!), as well as follow along for more blocks and history, here is the link:
https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/historyculture/fabric-of-appalachia.htm
If you’d like to learn more about the Smokies’ earliest residents, consider exploring the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail or visiting nearby attractions such as the Museum of the Cherokee People, the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, the Cherokee County Arts Council, and the Cherokee County Historical Museum. You can also explore many National Park Service sites across the country that celebrate Native cultures or protect places sacred to Indigenous nations.
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