Long before the first settlers arrived in America, British women, and men were involved in patchwork shapes and quilting, both for home and commercial benefit. So the history of quilting in Britain goes way back. There are records of padded clothing being made for soldiers to be worn underneath their armor to protect them from the metal, and also to provide warmth and comfort. And as far back as the fourteenth century, quilted fabrics were used as bedcovers and clothes.