Twelve Quilts of Christmas – #10

This vintage quilt stopped me in my tracks.  Modern looking before modern day modern was modern! Which truly continues to beg the question what truly is modern?  This one has all the hallmarks … bold distinctive design with loads of negative space.

I think some of the green leaves and stems have faded, but that doesn’t change the graphic success of this design.  There is a block in Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Applique that has some of the same elements of this block; the centre motif and the shape of the tulip petals on the top edges are different, but close enough to say that it could help date it: block 8.64, T. Tulip comes from a quilt c. 1935, Robertson/North Carolina, pg 76.  So possibly 1930’s.   I am so grateful for Brackman’s two incredible encyclopedias.  I reference them often.

The quilting design is three concentric simple lines forming approximately 1/3 of a circle, creating a profusion of small-scale fans. A close up photo of the quilting is below.

What an absolute delight of a quilt!