Central Medallion Designs (Quiltscapes)
Central Medallion Designs
Artfully composed of small pieces, the central medallion format dominated early 19th century quilt designs. The central star, called Lone Star or Bethlehem Star, was one of the most spectacular and popular patterns. Many fabrics found in period quilts like this one are of English origin, since American industry could not yet supply all of the country's demand for cotton fabrics.
English Mosaic Top c. 1820
Maker: Susan EusdenMuseum Collection 2208
Susan Eusden, born in England about 1838, probably
brought her quilt top with her when she and her new
husband immigrated in 1869. They homesteaded
on Lost Creek in Platte County,... [more]
Lone Star c. 1820
Maker: Minerva Hellen WilsonMinerva was only 32 years old when she died in 1839 leaving 4 children. This quilt, a legacy of design and elegant needlework, was handed to her eldest son and passed through two more generations before its... [more]
Lone Star, c. 1860
Maker: UnknownThis Lone Star quilt’s donor stated that it “was made by one of the first three white women to come to Stevens County.” That county was formed in 1864, and the fabrics match the 1860s era. The first Stevens County census... [more]
Lone Star, c. 1860 -1870
Maker: UnknownImagine creating a Lone Star quilt in the mid-1800s. The 60-degree diamond shape may have been borrowed from a friend or carefully drawn on precious recycled letters or a rare piece of cardboard. Likely, the pattern... [more]
Sunburst, c. 1830
Maker: UnknownMade by her grandmother and aunts in the New York area, Helen Dittmer’s inherited radiating star quilt was a prize winner at many fairs. Helen carried the quilt to the Northwest, arriving in 1959 in Spokane where her... [more]
Sunflower, c. 1920
Maker: Kate Brook McCreaKate McCrea fashioned her Sunflowers design exactly like the pattern she found in Marie Webster’s 1915 book, Quilts: Their Story and How to Make Them. Kate’s husband was a senior partner at the insurance and... [more]