Trapunto, an Ancient Stuffed Quilting Technique

One of the Earliest Surviving  Examples of Trapunto Quilting is the Tristan Quilt in the
Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England.

Trapunto is a whole cloth quilting technique that produces a raised, or 3D, surface on the quilt. The word Trapunto is Italian and means "to quilt". It is often referred to as a "stuffed technique."

 

Trapunto is a puffy, decorative feature that utilizes at least two layers, the underside of which is slit and padded, producing a raised surface on the quilt.

Vintage Americana trapunto from the 1950’s, a country hunting scene
featuring a pack of Pointer hunting dogs

The above image is a fine example of vintage Americana from the 1950’s, a country hunting scene featuring a pack of trapunto Pointer hunting dogs. Seven of the dogs in this picture are raised or 3D, and so is the log in the foreground. The trunks of the trees in the background are also raised surfaces.

One of the earliest surviving examples of trapunto quilting is the Tristan Quilt in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England. It is a linen quilt that was made in Sicily during the second half of the 13th century.

Trapunto first appeared in the United States in the late 1700's and remained popular until the Civil War.