Etsy user Babyannequilts wrote a short article called "The Story of Quilts" for Etsy's The Storque online zine. It's filled with interesting facts I didn't know about this traditional form of art/craft. From her article:
Even in death, quilts sometimes played a significant role. During a difficult journey moving westward, death was common. But scarce wood or lack of time, often prevented trail travelers from making coffins. On these occasion, the dead were often buried wrapped in a family quilt. Those leaving the dead behind were comforted knowing that their loved one had something symbolizing the family's love in their lonely grave.
When a family relocated to a new home, friends and family members would often make a quilt as a parting gift. These friendship or album quilts, made by a group for a departing friend, were especially popular during the 1840s when there was a great surge of population moving to the western United States.
