Floral appliqué quilt

United States

c. 1860s–70s

Cotton, pieced, appliquéd, and quilted

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A quilt with a repeating pattern of red and green floral motifs on a cream background, bordered by a red edge and a band of smaller floral elements. Many quilts from the 1700s and early 1800s featured a large central motif, called a medallion. But in the mid-1800s, block-style quilts surged in popularity. This one has nine blocks, each punctuated with a spray of green and red tulips. One advantage of such quilts was that the squares—usually one or two feet wide—were easy to carry along on social visits, allowing women to stitch as they chatted. This meant “free time” was always productive. The quilter could never be accused of ignoring her household duties, even when she was away from home. A single block with an elaborate appliquéd design and careful quilting stitches could tak