Fabric of Appalachia

Duration:

5 minutes, 47 seconds

Fabric of Appalachia: As the country commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we’ll be hosting a nationwide quilt-along to explore “The Fabric of Appalachia.” We invite you to join us as we introduce traditional quilt blocks and share their connection to history.

 

Click the ? to reveal how the final quilt will look or leave it a mystery and sew along.

NPS

Welcome to Fabric of Appalachia, where American history is stitched together one quilt block at a time!

Introduction

Appalachia is known for music, storytelling, beautiful mountains, and patchwork quilts. Although the history of quilting stretches back 5000 years, block-style quilts were uncommon until the industrial revolution made a palette of new affordable fabrics available, and quilters developed what we now think of as a uniquely American folk art. Block patterns were often given names that reflected everyday objects, current events, or spiritual beliefs.

As our country commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we’ll be hosting a nationwide quilt-along to explore “The Fabric of Appalachia.” We invite you to join us as we introduce traditional quilt blocks and share their connection to history.

Throughout the quilt‑along, we’ll be teaching you how to hand piece and hand quilt. If you prefer using a sewing machine, you can easily find information about how to machine-piece blocks through online tutorials or at your local library. New blocks will be posted weekly.

Ready to sew along? Gather your materials and follow the links below!

Happy stitching!

Materials

Block patterns will be released each week starting July 10, 2026 through September 18, 2026. If you’d like to sew along, you’ll want to gather your supplies. To make the full quilt, you’ll need:

• Scissors (or a rotary cutter and mat if you have one)
• Something to make templates from. You can purchase template plastic, but thin cardboard (i.e. from a cereal box, old file folders, or a notebook cover) works just fine
• A pencil and a white or yellow colored-pencil (or there are options designed specifically for quilters)
• Pins
• Sewing needles (size 8-12)
• Thread (roughly 50 wt)
• A thimble
• Approximately 3.5 yards of fabric for the top. Our version uses a scrappy mix with about half in mid- to dark purples and the other half in yellows and oranges
• Quilt batting and fabric for the backing

 

Follow the links to learn more

Quilt Blocks, Part 1

Blocks 1-6: Nine Patch, Churn Dash, Double Pinwheel, Schoolhouse, Log Cabin, and Virginia Reel

Quilt Blocks, Part 2

Blocks 7-10: Road to Tennessee and more to come!