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| Four Seasons Hemet Herald | OCTOBER 2021 | 23 On Aug. 25, the Board unanimously recognized Four Seasons' first ever Quilt Club, Seasons Quilters. Thirty-five founding members strong, we are enjoying a great start to an age-old pastime. Every month "In the Q" Seasons Quilters will feature on-going events, projects, excursions, shows, and of course the history of quilt making. Interestingly, the letter Q, (17th letter of the modern alphabet) corresponds to Semitickoph, derived from an earlier sign representing the eye of a needle. The shape of a doubled loop is found in the very early Semitic writing used about 1500 BCE on the Sanai Peninsula. In Egyptian hieroglyphic writing there is a sign that denotes a looped rope, or the tying of a knot. The stitching together of layers of padding and fabric may date back as far as 3400 BCE. In Europe, quilting appears to have been introduced by Crusaders in the 12th century. In the form of aketon or gambeson, a quilted garment was worn under armour, which later developed into the doublet, remaining an essential part of fashionable men's clothing for 300 years until the early 1600s. For much of its history, quilting was primarily a practical technique to provide physical protection and insulation. However, decorative elements were also present, and many quilts are now primarily art pieces. One of the earliest existing decorative works is the Tristan Quilt, made around 1360 in Sicily. It is one of the earliest surviving quilts in the world and at least two sections survive, located at the V&A Museum (London) and in Bargello palace (Florence). Another of the Tristan and Isolde story is held in a private collection. Dutch and English settlers introduced quilting to the United States, through Early American Quilt Patterns, circa1650-1850, maintaining a practical approach to their craft. Although common in the late 17th century, Colonial quilts were not made of leftover scraps or worn clothing as a humble bed covering during this period, but were decorative items displaying the fine needlework of the maker, such as the Baltimore album quilts. Only the wealthy had the leisure time for quilt making, so such quilting was done by only a few. Today, quilting is now a popular hobby, with an estimated base of 21 million quilters. Seasons Quilters meets every first and third Thursday in the Aerobics Room from 12 to 4 pm. All residents are welcome to attend. For more information, please contact Diane Best at (951) 816- 0449, dianequilts@verizon.net or Sharon Deuber at (760) 500-0077, YouDeserveIt@twc.com.