Mrs. Bill Stagg of Pie Town, New Mexico with her embroideredpatchwork quilt that displays all 48 (at the time) United Statesstate flowers and birds, October 1940. Quilting was a very popular early American pastime, particularly in the Midwest, where quilting circles were a common social pastime for women. Annual town fairs generally included a quilting bee, to award excellence in quilting. Handmade quilts were a very common wedding gift for young couples, and were often mentioned specifically in wills due to their sentimental significance.Photo credit: Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration