Historically, a woman's expression of her artistic talents were confined mostly to the home and often to the needlearts in particular. This lecture explores quilt making in the contexts of the family, of groups of women, and of society as a whole.

      Since the 1970s, antique quilts have taken on a new role as they began to be appreciated as art objects. The talents of anonymous quiltmakers of the 1800s are discussed in this context in terms of color, balance, design, etc.