Newsweek has an article on quilting - who does it, and why.
Some quotes:
According to the "Quilting in America, 2006" survey by Quilters Newsletter, the country had 27.7 million quilters, up more than 6 million from the previous survey, conducted in 2003. The survey described the typical "dedicated quilter" as 59, well educated and female. Experts say that quilting appeals to seniors who want to remain active and productive, who have time, patience and an eye for design and who enjoy the company of peers. Most, they agree, prefer to create traditional quilts. "Younger quilters," says Maryellen Sinkus, 68, a retired nurse from Lake Grove who now teaches quilting at Sew Time in Lake Grove, "tend to make garments or decorative wall hangings or baby gifts."
As for other techniques and equipment, quilters in the horse-and-buggy era would never have been prepared for today's high-tech computerized sewing machines, which can cost as much as $10,000. They go beyond automatic, self-threading needles, dozens of settings for elaborate embroidery at the touch of a button, and laser-guided quilting with illuminated display windows to hands-free models that follow computerized instructions typed by the operator.
Despite these modern marvels, many quilters prefer to stitch delicate appliqués and even straight rows by hand or with older machines, some handed down by their mothers and grandmothers.
Here's the full article
Tags: quilting