Over the last couple of weeks we’ve been looking at how to make quilts more sustainable, but what do you know about the quilt makers that came before us? What motivated their practices and influenced their designs? What techniques were deployed to be as economical with their fabric and fibres as possible? Did they make their quilts alone? And how did quilt making change with the introduction of the sewing machine? We hear from historian Deb McGuire who lifts the lid on all these questions and explains how we can reintroduce some of these practices into our making future. 

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Discover Deb’s work at her website plainstitch.co.uk. 

Read more about Deb’s research with Dr Jess Bailey into the history of quilt making in the British Isles at withintheframe.co.uk. 

An example of a quilted petticoat from the V&A’s collection, made approx. 1750-1770 and later altered approx. 1870-1910:

You can also follow Deb on Instagram (@plainstitchdeb) to see what she’s working on. 

Deb also writes a column for The Quilter magazine, a quarterly publication for members of the Quilter’s Guild.  

The Within The Frame website provides a resource on where to source small flock fibre in the UK, as well as where you can buy an actual quilt frame (they start from just £160!). 

You can check out all Deb’s quilts in her gallery, including the Waste Not Want Not quilt: