On the Bed - Rabbit's Paw

Purchased from the collection of Pat Cox this year, here's the beautifully simple Rabbit's Paw in red and green.

I don't think this was ever used on a bed. It appears to be one of those quilts that got made, folded up and put away. If it was on a bed it was taken off before use and it has never been washed. Pencil marks are still quite visible. Will I dare wash it?

The quilting is simple but nicely done. The green is fading toward tan which makes me want to circa date it about 1880. The narrow red binding is top-stitched by machine. This particular nine-patch variation is not as commonly seen as the Bear's Paw but is more delicate and I've long admired it.

So. I put it on the bed for show and then decided - heck. I'm sleeping under it! I try not to be intimidated by my quilts. I respect them but unless they are terribly fragile I believe that using them as originally intended honors them more than being folded up in a closet. This one has spent many years that way already!





Here's an very different example from David Pottinger's book Quilts From the Indiana Amish, A Regional Collection. 















The dark colors and on-point setting give a totally different look.


On my list of 'Quilts I want to Make" I include this design for a baby in two colors - pink and white cotton sateen. I already have the fabric!

Wouldn't a bunny applique border be cute?