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Konza Prairie Quilters' Guild

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Special Features: History and Description of Patchwork Blocks: 

A History of Patchwork Blocks: Images and Origins

KPQG member, Mary Jo Hawkinson, has prepared an historical overview of patchwork quilt block designs with research done through information on the Homestead National Historical Park, Beatrice, Nebraska website.  These are just a few samples.  

View all block images and history in a printable .pdf format here.


A basic design, Nine-Patch was often used in utility quilts to keep people warm.
Girls as young as three and four would work on these at their mothers’ knees—
often referred to as “fireside training.”

[from <https://www.nps.gov/home/planyourvisit/quilt-discovery-experience.htm>]


Log Cabin (or Sunshine & Shadow)                       
Sometimes associated with Abraham Lincoln, the Log Cabin quilt block features a center red square representing the hearth (heart) of the cabin. Since small pieces could be used for the “logs,” this block was often a final step in recycling fabric into quilts. Often made in lights and darks, the resulting pattern reflected the east to west path of the sun across the sky.

      [from <https://www.nps.gov/home/planyourvisit/quilt-discovery-experience.htm>]


The Pinwheel quilt block became popular in the early 1800’s. It is thought it was  designed “while the men were away fighting the war “(War of 1812). Quilts of this era were used as bedding, but also as door and window coverings and room dividers for privacy, particularly in one room log cabins and “Soddies” ( homes constructed of sod bricks cut from the prairie). Vanes on the windmill pumps were reflected in the triangular design. The Pinwheel was an early example of decorative, yet practical quilting. 
https://debrascustommachinequilting.com/articles/f/history-of-the-pinwheel-quilt-block

Eight Point Star
Sometimes called “Star of Bethlehem,” the Eight Point Star pictures the Biblical star that led the shepherds to baby Jesus. Many homesteaders were led West by the stars. In the mid to late 1800s, Native American tribes used the eight-pointed star pattern, calling it the “Morning Star.”   
https://nationaldaycalendar.com/7-historical-quilt-patterns/



Ohio Star
Around since the early 1800's, Ohio Star, is also known as Variable Star, Eastern Star, and Western Star, depending on the maker’s geographical location or time period. The use of QST's (quarter square triangles) allowed the quilter to use lots of scraps to create “a stunning and unique block.”

http://threadbarecreations.blogspot.com/2020/08/classic-quilt-blocks-ohio-star.html






Information from Homestead National Historical Park, Beatrice, Nebraska website                                                          https://www.nps.gov/home/planyourvisit/quilt-discovery-experience.htm>

https://debrascustommachinequilting.com/articles/f/history-of-the-pinwheel-quilt-block,

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/7-historical-quilt-patterns/,

http://threadbarecreations.blogspot.com/2020/08/classic-quilt-blocks-ohio-star.html

https://scissortailquilting.com/quilt-block-library/kansas-star-quilt-block/

https://www.kansaswetlandsandwildlifescenicbyway.com/vimages/shared/vnews/stories/5318d5beda10d/CVBQuiltWalk.pdf http://www.cherylarkison.com/diningroomempire/2020/10/x23z0fa9ku9fn6m7pqpi884p6h3kb2

https://www.patchworksquare.com/index.php?function=DisplaySheet&sheet=road-to-kansas-quilt-block

https://www.nps.gov/articles/windmills.htm]


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