The quilt has a tradition of long centuries of slow but certainprogress. Its story is replete with incidents of love and daring, ofsordid pilferings and generous sacrifices. It has figured in many athrilling episode. The same type of handiwork that has sheltered thesimple peasant from wintry blasts has adorned the great halls ofdoughty warriors and noble kings. Humble maids, austere nuns, granddames, and stately queens; all have shared in the fascination of thequilter's art and have contributed to its advancement. Cottage,convent, and castle; all have been enriched, at one time or another,by the splendours of patchwork and the pleasures of its making. As known to-day, the quilt is the result of combining two kinds ofneedlework, both of very ancient origin, but widely different incharacter. Patchwork--the art of piecing together fabrics of variouskinds and colours or laying patches of one kind upon another, is adevelopment of the primitive desire for adornment. Quilting--themethod of fastening together layers of cloths in such a manner as tosecure firmly the loose materials uniformly spread between them, hasresulted from the need of adequate protection against rigorousclimates. The piecing and patching provide the maker with a suitablefield for the display of artistic ability, while the quilting callsfor particular skill in handling the needle. The fusing of these twokinds of needlework into a harmonious combination is a task thatrequires great patience and calls for talent of no mean order...