Quilt in a Day - Amish Diamond in Square

16" square

I've finished my first Amish style quilt. It's so exciting to be able to finish a quilt top in a day....Eleanor Burns doesn't lie!  It can be done....especially if it's not too big!
I've always loved this very simple, most classic example of the Amish style. I would call it 'Square in a Square' since I think of a diamond as elongated but all the Amish books refer to it as Diamond in Square or Center Diamond. Some say that the 'diamond in square' design is inspired by the triangular shape of the prayer capes Amish women wore over their shoulders.


I used cotton solids. I planned it to be about 20" square but  the red strip surrounding the center didn't seem proportional until I cut it down a bit.

The earliest Amish quilts were simple geometric designs; center square, a diamond inside a square (like mine) and rectangular vertical bars

Center Square

Bars

Here's are a few more Diamond beauties from the collection at International Quilt Study Center (IQSC) .  Most  of these are believed to have been made in the Lancaster, PA, area around 1920-1940 and all of these examples are made of  wool.
Also, keep in mind that they are bed size; ranging from 70" to 85" square. Variations are quite subtle.

This one is even simpler than mine; it doesn't use corner squares.

This one uses a few more colors.....

Here the triangles add sparkle to the diamond!

Melinda King made this one, one of the few with a known maker. Most records state 'Maker Unknown' which, sadly, is the case for most vintage quilts.

Outside of the Box:

Variations of fabrics and more detail are usually later examples without Pennsylvania provenance - and more likely made of cotton as is this example.

And here's a contemporary version of Diamond in a Square from my photo files.....a Ricky Tims creation exhibited at Houston some years ago.

Next on my list: Bars