How to Identify Basic Quilt Block Patterns in Quilts
If you are a collector of quilts like I am then, to know a little bit about the basic American quilt patterns are very important on your journey to find that next gem of quilt at your local antique store. In this article, I will go over four basic patterns that every Collector should know about. I will give you some History about the pattern and what to look for in a well made quilt.
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Things You'll Need
- Knowledge of a Wedding ring pattern
- Knowledge of a Dresden Plate pattern
- Knowledge of a Flower Basket pattern
- Knowledge of a Fan pattern
Instructions
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The Wedding Ring pattern is a very old pattern in American Quilting history. The Double Wedding Ring pattern was first published by Capper's Weekly in 1928. This Topeka, Kansas publication added a bit of nostalgic romance to go with the pattern by writing, "When some good but unknown man conceived the idea of a double wedding ring ceremony it gave his wife an equally good idea. She worked two circles into a double wedding ring quilt." With this statement being published it gave so many seamstresses the creative know-how to strike out on their own and design variations of the pattern. So today when you are looking for this pattern don't be surprised if you find variations in your local antique shop. One warning, there are many quilts that are made in China so check to see if there is labels and if there is, don't buy them because they are not as valuable.
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The popular name for this quilt, Dresden Plate, reflects the whimsy of the Victorian Era with it's love of elaborate decoration on household items and décor. The town of Dresden, Germany was a center of 19th century romanticism movement in Art, one that included the fine decoration of porcelain. The plates were embellished with elaborate design using flowers, fruits and foliage. The beautiful plates were used for inspiration by women of the early 20th century. They used the prints of fabrics and sewn them into the plates that you see in the image here. To buy a excellent quality quilt be sure that you examine the edges of the petals to see if the seam allowance is consistent and even. Also examine the quilt to notice any tears around the seams.
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Flower Basket Pattern. This pieced block patterns has been popular for a very long time. Quilt Historian, Barbara Brackman, found the earliest known dated pieced basket quilt was made in 1855. Quilted and appliqued examples occurred even earlier. Always be aware when you are buying any type of quilt, for your collect, that it has minimal fading and that the seams are sewn with care in mind.
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Fan Pattern, "first appeared in print in a Ladies Art Company catalog of 1897. Prior to that, fans were common motifs in late nineteenth century crazy quilts. Their popularity likely was due to the fad for decorating in the Japanese style, which was prompted by Americans' exposure to Japanese art at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. By the 1930s, fans were standard favorites for quilt patterns." The things to look for when buying this type of quilt is well sewn seams, well appliqued curved pieces at the base of the fan and no severely torn fabric pieces on the foundation fabric field.
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This is only a VERY small sample of what is available out in the Quilt world there are so many more patterns you can learn about online and research at your local library. I will have links on where you can start your exploration into the wonderful world of Quilts and how to collect them.
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Tips & Warnings
If you live in or near a large city be sure to visit your local Textile Museum and get familiar with their collections. Ask questions and go to the opening exhibits to meet the Artists.
Visit the American Textile Museum on the web and research their data bases for information on patterns and the history of them.
Resources
- Photo Credit Sharon L. Neth
