Trapunto quilting

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Wikipedia

Detail of the late 14th century linen Tristan Quilt. Surface wear has exposed the wadding beneath.
The collar on this uniform from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan employs the trapunto method.[1]

Trapunto, from the Italian for "to quilt", is a method of quilting that is also called "stuffed technique". A puffy, decorative feature, trapunto utilizes at least two layers, the underside of which is slit and padded, producing a raised surface on the quilt.

History

The style originated in Italy before the 14th century.[2]

Technique

Trapunto is often confused with the relatively similar techniques used in making traditional whole cloth Provençal quilts that were developed from the 17th century onwards in France.[3]

Earliest

One of the earliest surviving examples of trapunto quilting is the Tristan Quilt in the Victoria and Albert Museum, a linen quilt representing scenes from the story of Tristan and Isolde which was made in Sicily during the second half of the 13th century.[4] Another piece of the Tristan Quilt, thought to be from a pair to the V. & A.'s example, is in Palazzo Davanzati in Florence.[4]


Modern

The technique was notably used to create the inner-tunic collars worn with Starfleet uniforms in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and several other Star Trek films.[5] As functional trapunto machines were rare, and the specialized needles which they employed were even rarer, the production team was able to find only a single usable needle. The fear of losing or damaging it was so great that a crew member was specifically designated to take the needle home with them at the end of every day.[6]


References

  1. ↑ Anderson, Kay (1982). "'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan': How the TV series became a hit movie, at last". Cinefantastique. 12 (5–6): 50–74.
  2. ↑ Art:Quilts and Quilters:Techniques:Trapunto
  3. ↑ Etienne-Bugnot, Isabelle. "Quilting in France: The French Traditions". Retrieved 2010-05-02.
  4. 1 2 The Tristan Quilt in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Accessed 5-2-2010
  5. ↑ "Redesigning Starfleet's Uniforms for Star Trek II — Forgotten Trek". forgottentrek.com. Retrieved 2025-11-12.
  6. ↑ Donaldson, Mark (2023-02-12). "Star Trek Original Movies' Red Naval Uniforms Explained". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2025-11-12.
  • Media related to Trapunto at Wikimedia Commons