State Birds and Flowers: A Special Embroidered Quilt

Quilts have a habit of popping up in the most unexpected places.

This beauty was proudly displayed in a rest stop along Interstate 76 near Julesburg, Colorado. (I’ll show you one I found on a wall in a shoe store later!)

Over 40 volunteers embroidered the blocks. Esther Hinde designed the pony express rider and Rosemary Lechman hand quilted the entire quilt. When my friend Rosie Werner did a presentation for our quilt study group in Minnesota a few years ago, I learned that there have been many variations of embroidered state bird and flower quilts over the last eighty years or so. In fact patterns are still being published. You can a get a pattern for this quilt from Aunt Martha.
( By the way, Rosie has become recognized as an expert on 'kit' quilts of all types. Her website is designed to share her research and is updated as new knowledge is found. She will be presenting a Study Center on this very topic at the next AQSG seminar in New Jersey this fall.) 

Most quilts of this type are done on squares or rectangles. This particular example is a bit unusual in that the blocks are hexagons and both the bird and flower are shown as well as the year that state joined the union and the order of admission to the union.

 The ladies chose to feature the Pony Express as the central focus of their quilt because Julesburg was on the Pony Express route from Missouri to California in 1860-1861.

The original pattern shows the United States map in the middle of the quilt and was even referred to as the State Educational  Quilt in advertisements for two different pattern designs. If anyone out there has a quilt or photo of one that has the US in the center I'd love to see it.

I found that I happen to have two versions of the United States map transfer. This Vogart pattern is for state birds. The blue transfer pattern may go with this. 

 This red example would have been published later as it  includes Alaska and Hawaii. Alaska became the 49^th state in January of 1959 with Hawaii following close behind, also in 1959. Clues like this help us date patterns which are seldom dated on the package. 

I find the directions included on vintage patterns interesting. The back of this pattern suggests a running stitch 1/4" apart or backstitching for quilting and advises not to knot the thread.

  Digging around in my 'stuff', I also found this complete set of 48  state bird and flower blocks- stamped in green and ready to embroider. I can't remember how I acquired them.

A few more blocks; these are already embroidered. 

Courtesy of Rosie Werner.

A few more quilt examples

 Of course, once a pattern has been published it can be used from then on so dating a specific quilt  requires more study unless the maker has been diligent and dated her handiwork.

I've often thought that any one topic could become a lifetime study – or at least a focus for one year – but my interests are many ......so I gallop along, kicking up the dust far and wide, unwilling to be reined in.

Giddyap......