It's important to remember that Amish quilting is a tradition that has been handed down over the decades from Amish mothers to daughters. Amish women learn their skills at a very early age, but they can take a lifetime to perfect. The fact that the Amish quilt exists at all is amazing since the basis of their entire belief system is centered upon the idea that the plain and simple way of life is the only way a person can truly focus on god. The Amish pride themselves on leading a non-flamboyant lifestyle, which includes wearing plain, solid colors and focusing on work rather than art. When the Amish began quilting, they had to adapt the popular quilting styles of the time to fit their own way of simple living. This is how the basics of Amish quilting developed into their own unique style.

The first thing that needs to be done before any type of quilt is made is to determine which kind of design is going to be used. Choosing the right colors, fabrics, patterns, shapes, styles, and sizes of quilt and quilting materials is crucial. This is perhaps the most important aspect of creating an Amish quilt because it can take anywhere from 400 to 800 hours of time to put together just one Amish quilt. If the design is not pleasing to the eye from the start, that's a whole lot of wasted time, and the Amish hate to waste time. So, laying out the design takes a keen eye and an artist's sensibility if the quilt is going to turn out right.

Once the design is created, each piece of fabric needs to be cut into perfectly matching pieces if the quilt is going to be even and symmetrical once it's finished. Once the fabrics are cut correctly they must be pieced together with pinpoint accuracy. If the quilt is not aligned properly, even in just one small part, the entire quilt will look off balanced and may pucker. Because Amish quilts are so dependent upon geometric designs, each individual piece of fabric must be stitched together just right in order for it to fit together properly. This is perhaps the most challenging part of the design for the Amish quilter because they must rely on their own eye and sewing skills for measurement and accuracy.

Once the top piece is stitched together into its geometric design, the actual quilting stitch is designed. Amish quilts are really put together in two phases. The first is piecing the fabrics together and the second is stitching the quilting pattern on top of the fabric design. Amish quilts are stretched out onto large quilting frames that pull the top piece, center batting, and bottom sheet out taut in preparation for the quilting. The top piece of fabric is marked with a stencil that has been designed by the Amish quilter. These quilting designs can come in a variety of styles, from straight lines to flowers to more geometric patterning. The stencil is placed on the fabric and a pencil is used to mark out the quilt design that will be stitched onto the fabric. Again, attention to detail and extreme accuracy are required when marking the quilt design onto the fabric to ensure even spacing over the entire quilt.

The stitching of the quilting pattern is then worked by hand using a needle and thread. The skills of the Amish quilter will really show once the quilting has been completed. Small, even, uniform stitches are essential in making a quality Amish quilt. The most prized Amish quilts will have six to eight stitches per inch or even ten to twelve per inch. The level of skill the Amish quilter possesses will be determined in the quality of her quilting stitch work. This detail and accuracy is what makes an Amish quilt so prized and collectible. Once the Amish quilt has been fully quilted, there can be as many as 60,000 stitches throughout the quilting design.

Because each quilt is made by hand and can take from one month to an entire year to complete, Amish quilts can sell for $1000 or more, depending on the quality of workmanship. So, as you can see, a lot of hard work and loving care goes into every inch of the Amish quilt making process. Owning an Amish quilt is like owning a piece of fine art that will increase in value over time. No matter what style, size, or color of Amish quilt you buy, you will always be reminded of the hard work and determination it took a single Amish woman to make every time you admire it. From its original design, to its piecing together, to its quilted stitches, each Amish quilt is unique from start to finish.

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<p>Young Amish girls learn simple quilting techniques from a very early age. As toddlers, they are often given needles and strands of thread to practice threading the eye of the needle for their mothers. This may seem a dangerous task to some, but the Amish spend a lot of time teaching their children the many dangers that come from living on a farm through safety games and trial and error activities. So, getting stuck a few times with a needle is thought to be a teaching tool for children to learn how to watch what they're doing and to be careful. As Amish girls get older, they are given more and more responsibilities when it comes to helping their mothers' with their quilting. They may cut scraps of fabric in preparation for the quilt when they are younger and will gradually be taught how to stitch the pieces of fabric together using tiny, uniform stitches. This is a skill that can only be perfected through years of practice. By the time an Amish girl enters her teens, she is making her own <a href="http://www.amishquilter.com">Amish</a> quilts in preparation for her future home when she becomes a wife and mother herself. An Amish girl will keep her handmade Amish quilts in a hope chest that her father may have built in preparation for the day she will marry. When she enters adulthood, an Amish girl will make Amish quilts for her own home or as gifts for family members and friends.</p>

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<p>Because Amish communities do not use electricity, they do not have central heating in their homes. Most Amish communities are located in the northern states where the winters can become quite cold. In the early days, the Amish made quilts out of necessity in order to keep warm at night. The Amish quilts of old were plain and generally consisted of one color. The designs of the early Amish quilts first consisted of patterns in the stitching on whole cloths. Slowly, as quilting in other communities became more and more popular, the Amish began to piece together different colors of cloth into simple geometric shapes and patterns. This was acceptable to the Amish sensibilities of preventing waste in that they were able to use scraps of fabric that would otherwise have been thrown out in order to make something useful. This was the birth of the Amish quilt. Dark fabrics arranged in simple designs of squares, rectangles, and triangles were the earliest forms of the art of Amish quilting.</p>

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<p>Over time, as the Amish women began developing their own, unique styles of quilting, more and more creative expression was used in the development of these <a href="http://www.amishquilter.com">Amish quilts</a>. Some Amish communities developed such unique styles of quilting that you could begin to know exactly which community the quilt came from simply based on the style, design, and color choices that were being used. Amish quilting probably became as popular as it did within the Amish communities themselves because it was one of the only ways an Amish woman could express herself creatively. Because Amish women all dress alike, decorate their homes alike, and focus on the plain and simple aspects of everyday life, it was an acceptable activity that would allow an Amish woman to express herself in a simple, yet artistic way. Most Amish women design and stitch together their Amish quilt patterns during the winter months while it is too cold to work in the fields and gardens. This appeals the Amish sense of keeping busy. During the spring and summer months, all the Amish women quilters of the community will get together at quilting bees and finish their quilts together by stitching the batting and the bottom layers of the Amish quilt together into a finished piece. This is an important part of the Amish quilting process as it brings the women of the community together again to catch up on old news and work together to finish their quilts as a community.</p>

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<p>Around the 1970s, Amish quilts became popular amongst the non-Amish or traveling "city folks." This created an interesting opportunity for the Amish. Many Amish women suddenly found themselves in the position to make money for their families through the sale of their homemade Amish quilts. As the demand for handmade, traditional goods became more and more popular, the Amish embraced the opportunity to profit from their Amish quilts and began quilting for commerce in order to support the community. Just as the Amish men sold their produce and handmade furnishings to the outside world, so too did the Amish women begin to provide for their families using their quilt making skills. While the Amish still embrace their plain and simple heritage, they also have found that through tradition and hard work they can achieve a sense of self-sufficiency through the beauty and necessity of Amish quilt making. This is why the Amish quilt.</p>

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All of the modern conveniences have been created in the last 100 years or so. Before that time everyone lived like the Amish do now. Back then life was simpler and living for the moment with what was around them was all that mattered.

Most people that live outside of an Amish community do not know what to do with themselves when the electricity goes out or the water stops running. It is almost like life comes to an end until those utilities are restored. Everyone is happy when the lights come back on to the point that you can generally hear a cheer in the neighborhood when it happens. That is just how dependent all of us have become on the modern conveniences we all now take for granted until they are taken away.

The Amish have none of that. They use kerosene lanterns to light their homes. To stay warm in the winter months they use a fire place where coal or wood is burnt. The Amish also have a plentiful supply of the quilts the ladies of the community make each year.

Because the Amish community is only reliant on its members and what they can actually produce, they take great care and pride in it. This is shown in the high quality of the Amish quilts that are still being produced today. The people of the community need them to survive the cold winter months so they are made to server that purpose. This high level of craftsmanship is seen in all of the things they produce, not just the quilts.

The handmade wooden furniture is also cherished by those that own them in the outside world. No machinery at all is used in their construction. The quality of these and all other products is a leading reason for such a high level of satisfaction and being content by the members of the Amish community.

For the many outsiders that think the Amish are a backward ignorant community just because they shun modern conveniences really do not know or understand this peaceful and religious group of people. They choose to live this way on purpose so they can lead simple satisfying lives to honor our Lord Jesus Christ. This honoring is done in everything they do and accomplish each and every day. It is the most peaceful way of life on this planet today. Who wouldn’t be content.

As with all portions of our society, the Amish do have disagreements amongst its members. Because they have been such a closed society group from the rest of the world for such a long period of time, most see them as mysterious. This mystery is just outsiders not knowing about them that it is not a secret society like the Masons.

The show called Amish Mafia is a dramatization of fictional events which are based loosely on actions inside and outside this closed community. As all dramatizations that are made for an audience, they have to be spectacular with action and events that surprise and entertain its audience. As most people realize, to get good ratings, a show, even reality shows, have to have a script so there is excitement in the show.

In reality, the Amish community is nothing like what appears on the Amish Mafia or any other show that depicts their activities unless it is a documentary. The only thing that is real in the shows is the way they talk and of course their clothes. These are a peace loving group in our society that spends all of their days honoring the All Mighty God. Because of their peace loving way of life they are forbidden from taking another human life. That is the reason there are no active Amish members in the US military.

The real life portrayal of the Amish and how they settle their disagreements would make for very poor viewing as a TV show. They compromise and work together to resolve problems. While there are beard cuttings and people being shunned, there is no violence or blood spilled in the real Amish community by its members. At time tempers are flared but that is never seen by anyone from the outside.

When watching a show like the Amish Mafia, the audience must remember this is a TV show meant to entertain. Because their lives are somewhat non-eventful, the script has to be written to liven up the characters and their actions so people will tune in and watch the show. Like most people’s lives, they would not make good or long lasting TV shows without a bit of fiction in them.

When talking about the food products, each person who makes a purchase can rest assured only natural pesticides, fertilizer and herbicides were used to grow them. Yes there are natural pesticides, they are called ladybugs. These plant friendly insects thrive on the other insects that desire to devour the food plants the Amish grow. They produce no toxins and are harmless to humans to have around in their natural home, the great outdoors. The fertilizer is mainly manure from the many farm animals that are raised in the community. They also take the waste left over from the plants that are grown and sew them back in the ground like the stalks and leaves along with the roots. As for the herbicides they use, that is manual weeding of the fields. No chemicals are use to help protect the crops for invasive species of insects, animals or plants.

The reasons stated above are why the Amish vegetables and grains are organic. They know of no other way. The animal products they offer are also organic. The use of hormones and antibiotics are not used. All of the animals in this closed community only receive what God has given them to survive.

Other things that will be noticed is that there are no electrical lights or neon signs to attract people to any of the stalls. Remember this is a simple community where all modern conveniences are shunned. There is not even one calculator in these markets. All of the pricing and totals for purchases are done by hand and mind.

When visiting an Amish market place, be sure to bring your own bags and containers. They may not have any plastic bags for you to carry away the items you purchased.

Even though the food you purchase is organic, make sure you still wash them thoroughly before they are consumed. While there are no chemicals to worry about, some outside elements might still be present on them.

As anyone who has actually visited an Amish community will tell you, all visitors that are respectful are greeted warmly and made to feel at home. The Amish do have a unique way of life, which is separate from the world. This is not so much that it goes against the teachings of Jesus, but it is present. Like all groups, if an arrogant person or group of people enter their community and become obnoxious or start insulting their members, they will no longer be made to feel welcome there.

This love of people and life is also seen in how they treat their animals. There is no veal grown in this community where the baby cows are kept in small pins not being allowed to move. While there are corrals and fences to keep the animals from roaming free in the entire compound, they have freedom of movement in their areas. This allows them to exercise and stay healthy. It is said a group of people can partially be judged by the way they treat their animals. If this is true with the Amish then people would be aware that they will be treated with respect when visiting them. This is not only in their nature of acting but also in their hearts and minds. They love all of God’s creatures.

It is the mystery behind the Amish that intrigue most people. They are a closed society that wishes to have as little contact with the outside world as possible. This is not to be unfriendly but so the outside influences are minimized on the members of their community. As the outside world advances in the development of devices to make life easier for its inhabitants, the Amish have decided to stop progress to what was available to the masses back in the 1800s. This allows them to have looms for the making of cloth and buggies so they can hook a horse up and travel by a means other than walking. The only pollution they produce is from the wood burning stoves they use. Machinery is limited in this community and they like it that way. This makes it easy for them to have a plentiful supply of time for the family to get together and enjoy life. This is something the outsiders could learn from, but most just do not take the time. They are just too busy with all of their gadgets and other distractions.

Yes the Amish as a society love other humans including outsiders. What they do not like is the worldly ways or actions at time.

Unlike the frontier families, the Amish families today do have access to supermarkets and grocery stores. Just because they have access to them does not mean they have the funds to make purchases or the desire to go into the outside world and use visit them. The Amish have been a self sustaining society since it was founded hundreds of years ago. This includes canning and preserving the many different food items they will consume in the coming months.

The reason for the making of preserves is more than just because they taste better when prepared this way, but they also make their own preserves and jams because of the quantity they need to feed their families throughout the long winter with food that tastes fresh and as good as if it was right off the plant. Also, by growing most of their own vegetables and fruits, they know that the foods they are eating does not have harmful pesticides or chemicals added to them. This process is not limited to just fruits where jams and preserves are being created. This also includes all of the many vegetables they grow and many complete dinner that have been prepared. There are over 600 different recipes a person can acquire for the many different food items that can be made to last in this fashion.

Some of the more unusual food items that are made to last include chicken bologna, catsup from the tomatoes, cold packed sausages, pickles, corn relish, pear butter, pepper relish, pickled yellow beans, canned fish and even several ways to make and preserve zucchini relish. Each of these items was created by the inhabitants of the Amish community for the precise reason of helping their produce and food items last the longest possible time and still be nutritious and filling when eaten, not to say also good tasting.

They also preserve all of the fruits most American enjoy like apricots, blueberries, mint, grapes and of course strawberries. These preserves along with many others can be made or purchased in two different varieties. There are the fruit preserves with sugar added and those without. This variation is to meet the needs of the Amish community. Not every one in the world has a massive sweet tooth and this includes the Amish.

Another very different thing the Amish preserve is real fruit jellies. Unlike the varieties most American can purchase in a regular grocery store that contain very little real fruit juice or none at all. The Amish varieties contain real fruit in them.

No matter what you think of them or their way of life. You have to at least acknowledge they do know how to prepare and eat some of the best quality food on the planet today. They do not use artificial additives or preservatives, but prefer eating healthy and natural.

The performance of manual labor is how all things are accomplished in this closed religious society. These chores begin before sunrise with the feeding and taking care of the livestock they raise. It encompasses their laundry, since they do not posses any electric cloth dryers, choosing to use a clothes line and the sun. This takes time, but the scent their cloths have is fresh and not artificial.

In this society it is also frowned upon to smoke, they do not take drugs of any kind and abstain from drinking beverages that contain alcohol. Because of this their bodies are cleaner than what most other Americans have. This makes it possible for them to toil in the fields and around the homes for hours without taking a break or becoming tired.

The longevity of their seemingly endless supply of energy is the result of their way of life. Just like a professional athlete must exercise so they can last longer than their opponents. The Amish do manual labor from an early age up until they can no longer walk. Their bodies are just used to it. This is a lifelong conditioning of their muscles.

In the Amish beliefs they think that idle hands can let the devil in. Because of this they try to stay as busy as possible. A good example of this is the Amish Quilting Bee and the socializing of the ladies in this community. They do gather together to talk about the events and relationships of those in their communities. This gathering is not just sitting around drinking coffee or tea while eating snacks. Instead they make use of their idle hands by creating one of kind handquilted Amish Quilts. This keeps their hands and minds busy while they are enjoying a good conversation about the things in life that matters to them. It also servers another purpose in which the quilts will be used to keep them warm in the long cold winter months. Some of these high quality Amish quilts are also sold to outsiders so a revenue stream can be made to help pay the taxes the US government demands from all Americans.

It is because of this constant movement the people do in this closed society, they are in great shape. It is a rare thing to see a fat or overweight Amish member. Because of its rarity or non-existence, the number of diabetics in this section of the America society is also almost non-existent.

Yes the Amish as a group are the best in shape and most willing to perform manual labor for endless hours than any other group in the world.

The inside of an Amish home is sparse, with floors usually of linoleum, sometimes wood and no pictures on the walls. There may be several pretty wall calendars and a chime clock. The main focal point of color being the Colorful Amish Quilt that is being hand quilted in the quilt frame, often in the corner of the main living room where captured moments can be spent hand quilting while still in the midst of family activity.

Sewing all of the families clothing along with piecing quilts, creates a lot of scraps that inspire beautiful Mini Postage Stamp Quilts and colorful rag rugs. The Amish Quilter takes small areas and make a color explosion by using practical art. It becomes a joy filled time to work in the kitchen, baking bread in the propane oven and stove while enjoying the Amish colors in the hand made throw rug.

Simplicity in design, yet bold in the use of the Dutch Amish Colors, make spectacular focal points in your home. Perfect for both the traditional decor and modern, these crisp clean designs and colors are sure to please.

The entire family is working to help the family in food preparation and garden maintenance. Even the littlest is busy collecting eggs and keeping the weeds pulled.

Autumn ushers in a contented swing of events orchestrated by the weather and shorter days. The men and young boys are busy in the fields, where you can see them behind four or more mules doing heavy farm work. Belgian Horse pulled farm wagons or garden tillers are used to help put the fields to bed before the onset of freezing weather.

When the fields are blanketed with the moisture laden white snow, you will find the men busy in the barns repairing harnesses and plows, while the Amish women are busy hand quilting beauty and color into the Amish quilt that they are creating. The Amish quilter continues with her hand quilting into the beginning of spring, when the fields are still warming up. 

As soon as the land is warm enough to accept the seeds saved from last years harvest, then our Quilter focuses her attention and energy to her kitchen garden, planting in a schedule created by our Creator, each seed in its time. The very young enjoy the feel of cool earth between their toes as they help with the planting.