I am enamored with small quilts. And I especially enjoy a patriotic quilt pattern from the civil war era. I love to decorate my home with quilts, so many times “small” is definitely better. A small quilt can decorate a wall, a table top, or make an adorable accessory for a doll, for instance. Actually, I’m dreaming of a collection of small civil war quilts to hang as a grouping on a wall in my quilting studio. Find out more about my patriotic quilt pattern collection here.
What are some of the benefits of making small quilts? Let’s face it–small quilts take a lot less time to make! For most of us, life is busy, and it’s so rewarding to actually finish a project in a short amount of time and be able to enjoy it. They are less expensive to make and are wonderful to give as gifts for special occasions or “just because.” It seems as though many of us give away more quilts than we keep for ourselves, so what little girl wouldn’t love to receive a special small quilt for her doll? Or, who wouldn’t want to receive a beautiful patriotic quilt wallhanging?
The inspiration for my new pattern “Patriotic Parade” and “Little Red Cross” came from my daughter’s American Girl doll collection. I love to read about the different historical time periods each doll represents. My daughter and nieces all loved Molly, whose character represents the World War II era. In my research, I discovered that Red Cross quilts were commonly made as fundraisers for the American Red Cross organization in the 1940′s. Also, patriotic quilts featuring the Stars & Stripes were very popular. It was fun to design two little quilts that are reminiscent of that time period.
Here is my newest patriotic quilt pattern – Patriotic Parade and Little Red Cross.
Little Red Cross and Patriotic Parade
I guess I have never outgrown my passion for dolls. My friend and I love to visit the American Girl Place in Denver. I guarantee this wonderful world of dolls will provide plenty of inspiration to add more quilts to my “Small Pieces of the Past” patriotic quilt pattern collection in the near future.
The American Girl Place
A Peek Inside
Felicity and Elizabeth
Please visit my store to learn more about my Patriotic Quilt Pattern collection.
Tags: cats creations, patriotic quilt, patriotic quilt pattern
I have a quilt left to me by my great grandmother. It is white with red crosses in each square with dark blue edging. I don’t see any in the quilt sites but grandmother told me this was a civil war quilt made by my great grandmother.
Can you gice me some background? I can get you a photo if necessary but that involves a 6 hour trip.
The red crosses touch the edges of the squares.
Thank you.
R.
Thank you for your comment! From your description, it sounds like your quilt is similar to a red cross quilt. However, my research shows that red cross quilts were popular during the early 1900′s and were often made as fundraisers for the war effort. The American Red Cross organization was founded in 1864, so it did exist during civil war times. Perhaps you could show the quilt to a quilt appraiser to get a more definitive answer. I also am looking for information about a quilt that has been in my family for over 100 years. Hopefully, we can both get some answers! See my blog post on quilt labels.