The culture in which we live leads us to believe that certain things have gone by the wayside. Very few know how to make their own clothes, much less sew on a simple button. And does anyone darn socks anymore or does the holey footwear just get tossed in the garbage? Every year, more and more distance grows between the past and the present, between skills that were once common knowledge and our throwaway society.
Today is the celebration of another art form that might seem to be dying as well: quilting. This is National Quilting Day. Long gone are the “quilting bee” days where communities hosted the gathering of ladies for an afternoon of work and probably a bit of gossip. The last house where I remember seeing a quilting loom was in the Stryker home of Phyllis Jolly. So why celebrate something that’s on the way out and going the way of the dodo bird?
Contrary to what we might think, quilting is NOT a dying art form. “In fact, it’s a billion dollar industry with a growing audience of younger people.”1 “The estimated size of the quilting market is $4.2 billion, up slightly from $4.1 billion in 2018 and $3.8 billion in 2014. North America has between 9-11 million quilters, a number that’s been stable (between 8-12 million) over the last decade. 98% of quilting consumers are female and 65% are retired. Between 2020 and 2024 the population will see a 2% annual growth of females at retirement age which leads to an anticipated corollary growth in the quilting market. The age band in which quilters started quilting more actively was in their mid-40s.”2
For those who love Amish country, you have to stand in awe of the quilting masterpieces they create. Sticker shock might make you stagger, though. Expect to spend $700 or more for an authentic piece. Prices can reach well into the thousands. While we may be reeling from the price, consider that one quilt could represent a year’s work. All of a sudden, you understand the price, don’t you?
When we think about quilting, God was the original quilter. Let’s take a moment and look at some of His handiwork.
Psalms 139:14-15 says, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. (15) My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.” We are familiar with this verse and use it whenever we talk about being pro-life. However, focus on the word wrought. Strong’s Concordance says that the word means embroider; by implication to fabricate: – embroiderer, needlework, curiously work. It’s the same word that used to describe the intricate tapestries that adorned the Tabernacle. We were quilted, sewn, embroidered, and fabricated in the womb by God.
Colossians 2:1-2 says, “For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; (2) That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ.” For you quilters and sewers out there, try not to tear this analogy apart with technicalities. I know that knitting and quilting are not the same. However, there are similar concepts that bridge the differences. And I’m a simple guy so the illustration is going to be simple.
Think of the body of Christ. Each Christian is a patch. We are each an individual square. In salvation, we are made one body in Christ. However, knitting (or, quilting) 
those squares together is something that only God can do. It is the blood of Jesus that brings this quilt together. It is the love of God and a love for each other that brings each patch or square together, sewing them into one eternal quilt.
Quilting is definitely something to celebrate, even if you never intend to make a quilt. God is working on His quilt. Let’s be a part of it and help to get the project completed.
1https://kutv.com/features/fresh-living/how-quilting-has-been-modernized
2https://craftindustryalliance.org/quilting-trends-survey-results-2020/
Images are taken from https://pixabay.com/, https://www.pexels.com/, or https://unsplash.com/images. According to the websites, they are Royalty Free and free to be used for any purposes.
