How to make doll quilts Part 1

Easy patchwork doll quilt

Before I started designing doll clothes I did quite a lot of patchwork and quilting. I have a lot of patchwork fabrics that are not really suitable for doll clothes so I plan to get some of them out and make doll quilts.
I have started a Pinterest Board to save bed styling ideas that I like. I think the pillows and cushions are an essential part of the whole doll bed thing.
The number of patchwork ideas available for doll quilts is pretty much never ending but I do like the simple squares like the one from the American Doll Quilts book below.

This quilt book shows you how to make some of the quilts children might have made in the 1800s
https://www.shopmartingale.com/american-doll-quilts-ebook.html

Here is one of the quilts from the book. Those fabrics are beautiful.

If you have plenty of hours and you like patchwork and quilting you should spend some time browsing the boards at martingale
https://www.pinterest.com.au/shopmartingale/boards/

The history of doll quilts in America is a whole subject. 

Since sewing was an essential task for women in the 1800s girls were taught to sew from a very early age. Often the first practice piece would be a small quilt for their doll.
In the pioneer era quilting became very popular because of the rise of the textile industry and the availability of inexpensive fabrics.
Many of the quilts from that era are gone because they would have been used until they wore out.
You can read more in this article:
https://www.quiltingboard.com/resources/article-15.html

Until I started researching for this blog post I didn't realise there were actually career opportunities for quilt historians. Around the 1970s women started to take an interest in the women and quilts of historical times and it has grown from there.

Quilt Historians
You can find out more about the quilt historians in this article:
http://www.antiquequiltdating.com/Getting_to_Know_Today's_Quilt_Historians.html

"Today quilt history is a broad and recognized field of professional and personal study and enjoyment. "

Doll quilt designs
You will find lots here on Pinterest
I would love to make a few of these. Look out for the plans on my blog.
Coming up soon I will go through the steps to make my first contemporary quilt. Like this one.

https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/575897871098721266/

Make sure you sign into dolldressmaking.teachable.com to have access to my free library and my newsletter.

Get the free plan for a quilt with little squares on Teachable 
(the photo tutorial will go up soon)

Look out for my Doll Dressmaking courses coming up for sale on Teachable in 2019.

Happy Sewing and Doll Dressmaking,
Val