The Quilt as Metaphor

By Laurel R. Singleton
Published on 01/10/2009

"We Americans have adopted quilts as a symbol of what we value about ourselves and our national history," says Laurel Horton in the special presentation "Speaking of Quilts: Voices from the Late Twentieth Century". Quilts are a powerful metaphor linking Americans to their romanticized vision of the past, if not the past itself. In the quilt, differences are bound together. The quilt is useful beauty, constructed with no waste and reflecting discipline, organization, and simplicity. Because it can be constructed in a social setting and passed from generation to generation, the quilt represents connections among people. As a women’s art form, the quilt gives voice to the voiceless. Quilts are also a reminder of what we perceive as a simpler, more self-sufficient time.

While elementary students are not likely to appreciate all of these aspects of the metaphorical uses of the quilt, they can gain important insights through activities revolving around quilts and their use in literature. To begin, select three quilts from the American Memory collection Quilts and Quiltmaking in America, 1978-1996 that represent three types of quilts: a crazy quilt, a pattern quilt, and a picture quilt. The following quilts are good examples:Print copies of the quilts for student examination, or prepare to project the images from the computer or by making overhead transparencies of the quilts.

You will also need at least two books or poems about quilts. Quilter Chris Pfeiffer has compiled a list of children's books about quilts; click here for a few suggestions from the author of this article.

Display the pictures and ask students to list all the things that are the same about the quilts. Next, ask students to list all the ways they are different. Post their answers to both questions on the chalkboard.

Ask students which quilt they like best and why. Post the reasons given in a third list on the chalkboard. Then have students look at the three lists on the chalkboard and indicate which items listed are reasons that people like quilts.

Check these items. What are some other reasons that people like quilts? Possible answers are they are fun to make, they are presents from older family members, the materials they are made of remind us of family stories, they are both beautiful and useful.

Tell students that people have made quilts for a long time. Share with students some rudimentary information about quilts, such as the following:

  • Quilts have three layers. The top layer is made of small pieces of fabric sewn together. The bottom layer is one large piece of fabric. The middle layer is padding. The layers are stitched together or tied through.

  • In earlier years, people made quilts to stay warm. They used patchwork because it was often hard to get fabric.

  • Often in early America (and occasionally today), the layers of a quilt were sewn together at quilting bees—gatherings where several women sat around a frame, quilting, During long, lonely winters, quilting bees provided a break.


If time permits, you may want to supplement this information with excerpts from interviews with quilters, available in audio files. To access this information, click on “Sound Recordings” on the collection's home page.

Explain that many writers use quilts in their stories and poems. Some compare quilts to other things to help us understand their ideas. Some authors use quilts to show what is important to people. Students are going to read stories that use quilts and try to decide why the writers used quilts. We recommend that you use at least two of the stories to allow for comparisons.

Depending on the age and reading skills of the students, you may want to have the reading and discussion done in small groups or as an entire class. Discuss both the story and the role of the quilt in each story. How does each author use a quilt to show something that is important to people? Why is the quilt a good way to show this? Following discussion of the individual books, encourage students to make comparisons across stories.

Conclude the lesson with an activity in which students, working individually, in small groups, or as a class, create quilt designs. The designs can either be drawn or created in fabric or construction paper, if time permits. The quilts should be designed to show something that is important to students or something important about quilts. Quilts from Quilts and Quiltmaking in America, 1978-1996 can be used as inspiration. As an alternative, students might select their favorite quilts from the collection and explain the appeal of the selected quilt to the class.

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