From the custom tee shirt quilt to the custom quilt, quilting in the United States as well as in a number of places beyond it is more popular than ever before. In fact, very nearly fifteen percent of all homes in the United States (fourteen percent to be exact) have at least one person who quilts regularly – considered to be an active quilter – if not even more than one, as some families will have multiple quilters who use quilting as an activity to bond with one another. All in all, there are more than twenty one people who are actively quilting throughout the entirety of the country of the United States – a number that continues to grow as the years pass by. And quilting is a hugely profitable industry because of this, taking in more than three and half billion dollars each and every year in the country of the United States alone, let alone in other countries where quilting has also become popular and is a common activity among people of many different backgrounds.
Aside from the modern history of quilting and its continued popularity in the United States as well as in many countries beyond it as well, quilting has a long history of quilting that dates back thousands of years. In fact, rudimentary forms of quilting can even be traced back to the year of 3400 B.C., when the Tristan quilt was discovered – a quilt that is still considered to be the oldest in the world. It is thought that quilting first originated in the countries of Egypt and China as they existed thousands of years in the past, and quilts had the primary purpose of blankets, used to keep people warm on cold nights and in overall cold weather. This was achieved through the use of three layers of fabric and batting for warmth that was inserted into the quilt before it was completely sewn together. The stitching throughout the quilt, much as we see today, even in the custom tee shirt quilt, was used to primarily prevent the middle layer from clumping as it slipped throughout the interior of the quilt.
In the years since, quilting has, of course, evolved. But there are still those that make what are referred to as traditional quilts, and these quilters currently make up more than eighty percent of the overall total quilting population. This type of quilting can encompass a wide variety of quilts, from the custom tee shirt quilt to the custom memory quilt. The creation of bereavement quilts is also common, and can help both the quilters and the recipients on their path through the often emotionally difficult grieving process. Others who do not traditionally quilt might be interested in quilting as a form of art installation, as now more than thirty five percent of all quilters are (thirty eight percent – very nearly forty percent – to be exact). Modern quilting, such as the custom tee shirt quilt, is also a popular endeavor that is undertaken by quilters who live all throughout the United States, and is a popular form of quilting among as much as thirty five percent of those who currently participate in at least one quilting activity – and many on a much more regular basis.
Memory quilt patterns are particularly common among such quilters of all backgrounds, and often include a pattern for a custom tee shirt quilt. A custom tee shirt quilt has proven to be especially popular, as the custom tee shirt quilt utilizes fabrics that the quilter already possesses. The custom tee shirt quilt allows quilters to use a great deal of creativity as well, as any pattern can be utilized as part of the custom tee shirt quilt. The custom tee shirt quilt also has a huge sentimental value, making it an ideal gift for a number of situations, such as when a child moves away from home for the first time (often to attend college, which, while exciting, is new and sometimes far from their home) to the person who has recently sustained a loss.
