▁qu ilt ed ▁between ▁new ▁layers ▁of ▁fabric ▁and ▁thereby ▁extending ▁the ▁useful ness ▁of ▁old ▁material . ▁▁ ▁During ▁American ▁pione er ▁days , ▁foundation ▁pie cing ▁became ▁popular . ▁P aper ▁was ▁cut ▁into ▁shapes ▁and ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁pattern ; ▁each ▁individual ▁piece ▁of ▁cut ▁fabric ▁was ▁bast ed ▁around ▁the ▁paper ▁pattern . ▁ ▁P aper ▁was ▁a ▁scar ce ▁comm od ity ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁American ▁west ▁so ▁women ▁would ▁save ▁letters ▁from ▁home , ▁post cards , ▁newspaper ▁cli ppings , ▁and ▁catalog s ▁to ▁use ▁as ▁patterns . ▁ ▁The ▁paper ▁not ▁only ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁pattern ▁but ▁as ▁an ▁ins ulator . ▁ ▁The ▁paper ▁found ▁between ▁the ▁old ▁qu il ts ▁has ▁become ▁a ▁primary ▁source ▁of ▁information ▁about ▁pione er ▁life . ▁ ▁Qu il ts ▁made ▁without ▁any ▁ins ulation ▁or ▁batt ing ▁were ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁summer ▁qu il ts . ▁They ▁were ▁not ▁made ▁for ▁warm th , ▁only ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁ch ill ▁off ▁during ▁cool er ▁summer ▁even ings . ▁ ▁African - American ▁qu il ts ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁long ▁tradition ▁of ▁African - American ▁qu il ting ▁beginning ▁with ▁qu il ts ▁made ▁by ▁slaves , ▁both ▁for ▁themselves ▁and ▁for ▁their ▁own ers . ▁The ▁style ▁of ▁these ▁qu il ts ▁was ▁determined ▁largely ▁by ▁time ▁period ▁and ▁region , ▁rather ▁than ▁race , ▁and ▁the ▁documented ▁slave - made ▁qu il ts ▁generally ▁res emble ▁those ▁made ▁by ▁white ▁women ▁in ▁their ▁region .