In the early days of the colonies women were the guardians and keepers of all the treasures found in the homes during those early days. They cleaned the china glasses and polished the silver and took care of the furniture, sometimes brought from England and sometimes made with elaborate effort by the men of the house; however none of these things were made by the women. As a matter of fact, in those early days men controlled all the property. With the taking of the marriage vows women became the husband's possession. The reason why there was a masculine dominance was in part a matter of economics. They were the providers and it was a girl's dream to marry a "good provider". Equally influential was the educational factor, and it was a common supposition that men were educated and therefore they had better judgment. For these two reasons women were most frequently not allowed to have an opinion in the decoration of their homes; men ordered the materials for their waistcoats at the same time they order the fabric for their wives" gowns. One thing women were in absolute control was the needlework and in this art they excelled. Especially in the work of making quilts women from the early colonies found enjoyment and satisfaction. Quilting became a work of love, not only was it practical and meant to last for a long time, but endless hours of work went into one piece to make it just perfect. From the beginning of their creation, quilts were not just practical and essential objects used in the everyday life of Colonial America, but they also became an important element of expression throughout the American history that give a glimpse of not only the daily life of those who participated in their creation but also knowledge of the important events that have happened throughout the American history.
According to the authors Patsy and Myron Orlofsky the colonists brought from Europe a heritage rich in needlework and quilting traditions, but there are no records that the first settlers brought quilts with them.
