BC ▁and ▁ 2 0 0   AD . ▁ ▁In ▁Europe , ▁qu il ting ▁has ▁been ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁need le work ▁tradition ▁from ▁about ▁the ▁fifth ▁century , ▁with ▁early ▁objects ▁containing ▁Egypt ian ▁cot ton , ▁which ▁may ▁indicate ▁that ▁Egypt ian ▁and ▁Mediter rane an ▁trade ▁provided ▁a ▁condu it ▁for ▁the ▁technique . ▁However , ▁qu ilt ed ▁objects ▁were ▁relatively ▁rare ▁in ▁Europe ▁until ▁approximately ▁the ▁tw elf th ▁century , ▁when ▁qu ilt ed ▁bed ding ▁and ▁other ▁items ▁appeared ▁after ▁the ▁return ▁of ▁the ▁Cr us aders ▁from ▁the ▁Middle ▁East . ▁ ▁The ▁medieval ▁qu ilt ed ▁g amb es on , ▁a ket on ▁and ▁ar ming ▁double t ▁were ▁gar ments ▁worn ▁under ▁or ▁instead ▁of ▁arm or ▁of ▁ma ille ▁or ▁plate ▁arm or . ▁ ▁These ▁developed ▁into ▁the ▁later ▁qu ilt ed ▁double t ▁worn ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁fashion able ▁European ▁male ▁cl othing ▁from ▁the ▁four teenth ▁to ▁sevent e enth ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁earliest ▁known ▁surv iving ▁European ▁bed ▁qu ilt ▁is ▁from ▁late - four teenth - century ▁Sic ily : ▁the ▁Tr istan ▁qu ilt ▁made ▁of ▁lin en ▁and ▁p added ▁with ▁w ool . ▁The ▁blocks ▁across ▁the ▁center ▁are ▁scenes ▁from ▁the ▁legend ▁of ▁Tr istan . ▁The ▁qu ilt ▁is ▁ ▁and ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁Victoria ▁and ▁Albert ▁Museum ▁in ▁London . ▁ ▁The ▁word ▁qu ilt ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁Latin ▁cul cita ▁meaning ▁a ▁stuff ed ▁s ack