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Quilting bees
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For many women in the mid-1700s through the 1800s—especially those living on the frontier and in small towns—quilting bees were a major social event.
It was the woman's job to make all of the bedding for the house. A quilting bee gave her help with her work and a chance to visit with her neighbors and friends. In many cases, a woman would piece together two or three quilts and then invite her friends over for a quilting bee. At the end of a day of quilting, the men would join the women for a large dinner. Sometimes the bees were even followed by dances.
The most exciting quilting bees were held for brides. A bride was expected to have thirteen quilts completed by the time she got married to furnish her new home. The first twelve were everyday quilts, but the thirteenth was more elaborate. It was called the bride?s quilt and was not made until the bride was officially engaged. At this point the backs were added to the other twelve quilts she had made. This was because the backing was expensive, and the family did not want to spend money on it until the quilts were actually going to be needed.
Quilting bees were treasured events for pioneer women. Living so far away from other settlers, quilting bees provided them with a rare opportunity to see women outside their own families.
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