How to Make a Quilt Out of Americans

"How to Make a Quilt Out of Americans"

How to Make a Quilt Out of Americans is an episode of The WB drama series, Charmed.

Synopsis

When an old family friend, Aunt Gail, asks the Charmed Ones to help stop a demon named Cryto who steals the skin from corpses, Prue, Piper and Phoebe find that Gail has betrayed them and traded their powers for eternal youth and beauty. As the Charmed Ones plot to get their powers back, Piper worries that she is missing out on her chance at true love and announces to her sisters that she no longer wants to be a witch, worrying that she might end up like Aunt Gail (old and alone), and is troubled with the way that she plans to break up with Dan.

Book of Shadows

Enemies

• Cryto: In the sixteenth century, Cryto travelled from dukedom to dukedom, preying on people’s vanity, bestowing youth and beauty in exchange for their souls. Cryto was found out and skinned alive by a group of witches, who believed it would keep his spirit from ever being resurrected again. Cryto has the power to restore youth and health, but he can also age someone to the point of dusting them instantaneously, making him a very powerful demon.

Spells

• To Separate A Witch From Their Powers: In a crucible of the blackest lead, combine Gypsies blood with a mandrakes head. More of the nightshade will you boil. The henbane, datura, and from pox in oil. With hemlock root complete the drought. Foul and dark like night and craft. Of the creator of this new brew and her desire, to steal from another for vengeance, power, or ire.
• To Call a Lost Witch/Powers: Powers of the witches rise. Course unseen across the skies. Come to us who call you near. Come to us and settle here..
• To Call Cryto: Must possess a form of a human made of flesh and the spell must be chanted by three witches: We call on the demon Cryto. Reach back throughout the ages. Humbled by his power, we invite him into our circle.
• To Vanquish Cryto: What witch has done and then undone. Return this spirit back within, and separate him from his skin.

Episode Stars

• Shannen Doherty as Prue Halliwell
• Holly Marie Combs as Piper Halliwell
• Alyssa Milano as Phoebe Halliwell
• Greg Vaughan as Dan Gordon

Co-Stars

• Julia Lee as Young Gail
• John Gowans as Mr. York
• Bill Wiley as Caddie Guy #1
• Charles C. Stevenson Jr. as Caddie Guy #2

Trivia

• The episode title is a play on words for the 1995 film How to Make an American Quilt.
• It is stated Aunt Gail was part of Grams' coven, yet she wasn't mentioned or seen in Witchstock.
• The photo of Grams' youth does not resemble the young Grams seen in Witchstock. However Witchstock is filled with inaccurices and has been disregarded as a canon episode by fans.
• The demon Cryto is unable to freeze the sisters even though they were stripped of their powers. This is because "good witches don't freeze", yet when Piper and Phoebe attempt to switch their powers in Ordinary Witches and their powers are sent to mortals, both Piper and Phoebe are able to be frozen and also, in The Power of Three Blonds, the blond with Piper's powers freezes Piper and her sisters. Supporting the fact that good witches do freeze, but Cryto was (as Phoebe suggested) unable to use all of their powers.
• In the scene at the gas station, the wires are clearly visible on Phoebe.
• Phoebe first wears glasses in this episode.
• Alyssa Milano's hair color changed in this episode to dark brown.
• Piper's desire to lead a normal life begins in this episode, despite the fact that at the beginning of the season she stated that she liked being a witch, and despite the fact that she contines a relationship with Leo, who is himself, supernatural.
• This is the last episode that Brian Krause (Leo) does not appear in until the episode Hyde School Reunion.
• In the beginning of this episode, the song 17 Again by Eurythmics is featured.
• Cryto possess all the sisters powers together, including Prue's new power of astral-projection. Dr. Williamson previously also had all the sisters powers together too, as did Melinda Warren, minus Prue's astral-projection power.
• In the scene after the sisters escaped from Cryto, there is a sign on a board that reads SWA properties. This is the same company that Dan Gordon hires to sale his house in Be careful what you Witch For where Charmed executive producer makes a cameo appearance as the realtor.

International titles

• French: Trois sorcières sans charme (Three witches without charm)
• German: Ewige Jugend (Eternal youth)
• Spanish: Como hacer una funda con americanos