LATTICE BLOCK
Chicago Tribune, August 5, 1934
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Quilt Notes:
Nostalgia is the root inspiration in many enduring and beautiful old crafts, including quilt designs. In fact, "Old Fashioned" begins the name of no less than 17 unique patterns in Jinny Beyer's QUILTER'S ALBUM OF PATCHWORK PATTERNS, including OLD FASHIONED QUILT, illustrated above. According to Beyer, the design dates back in print to the 1851 Godey's Ladies Book, where it began with no name at all, except that it was called a "Godey's Design."
In the 1890's, the Ladies Art Company Catalogue christened the block, GRANDMOTHER'S DREAM (#128, though set with a 90° rotation). But since the LAC title fits nicely into the same idea of something older and treasured, we'll use both names here to honor the pedigree of the quilt. In addition, Nancy Cabot knew the pattern as LATTICE BLOCK (see left) and commented in the Chicago Tribune:
"The popularity of the crossbar treatment dates from 1825, and today it is in even greater demand. Green and white is one of the coolest possible color schemes for a block of this type, although with the present range of color selections, one may make a perfect beauty in any color combination."
The great 19th century poet Emily Dickinson (born 1830), and who actually loved to think of herself as old fashioned, penned the following:
The morns are meeker than they were —
The nuts are getting brown —
The berry's cheek is plumper —
The Rose is out of town.
The Maple wears a gayer scarf —
The field a scarlet gown —
Lest I should be old fashioned
I'll put a trinket on.
Compare with: OLD FASHIONED PIECED BLOCK, also
GRANDMOTHER'S FAN and GRANDMA'S SURPRISE. Or have a look at ENTERTAINING MOTIONS for more patchwork at this site accompanied by Dickinson's poetry. |
OLD FASHIONED QUILT / GRANDMOTHER'S DREAM
