Quilts: Their Story and How to Make Them by Marie D. Webster, Rosalind W. Perry Page A

pioneers were constantly in the minds of the early American quilters and inspired many names. “Pilgrim’s Pride,” “Bear’s Paws,” “Rocky Road to Kansas,” “Texas Tears,” and “Rocky Road to California” have great interest as they reveal to us the thoughts of our great-grandmothers over their quilting frames.
    The names having political significance, which were attached to quilts, show that the women aswell as the men had a keen interest in the affairs of our country in its earlier days. “Old Tippecanoe,” “Lincoln’s Platform,” “Harrison Rose,” “Democrat Rose,” “Whig Rose,” and “Radical Rose” are all suggestive of the great discussion over slavery. Of the last name, an old lady, famous for her quilt making, said: “Here’s my ‘Radical Rose.’ I reckon you’ve heard I was the first human that ever put black in a Radical Rose. Thar hit is, right plumb in the middle. Well, whenever you see black in a Radical Rose you can know hit war made atter the second year of the war (Civil War). Hit was this way, ever’ man war a-talkin’ about the Radicals and all the women tuk to makin’ Radical Roses. One day I got to studying that thar ought to be some black in that thar pattern, sence half the trouble was to free the niggers, and hit didn’t look fair to leave them out. And from that day to this thar’s been black in ever’ Radical Rose.”
    Other names having patriotic, political, or historical significance are:
    Union
Yankee Puzzle
Continental
Union Calico Quilt
Star-Spangled Banner
Confederate Rose
Boston Puzzle
    There is also the “Centennial” in commemoration of the Centennial Exposition held at Philadelphia in 1876, and “The World’s Fair,” “World’s Fair Puzzle,” and “World’s Fair Blocks” to perpetuate the grandeurs of the great exposition held at Chicago in 1893.
    Religion is closely associated with the life of the industrious, sober-minded dwellers of our villages and farms, and it is the most natural thing in the world for the Biblical teachings to crop out in the names of their quilts, as the following names indicate:
    Garden of Eden
Golden Gates
Jacob’s Ladder
Joseph’s Coat
Solomon’s Temple
Solomon’s Crown
Star of Bethlehem
Tree of Paradise
Forbidden Fruit Tree
    The glories of the sky enjoy ample prominence among quilt names. Beginning with the “Rising Sun,” of which there are several different designs, there follow “Sunshine” and “Sunburst,” then “Rainbow,” and finally a whole constellation of “Stars”:
    Blazing Star
Brunswick Star
Combination Star
Chicago Star
Columbia Star
Crosses and Stars
Cluster of Stars
California Star
Diamond Star
Eight-pointed Star
Evening Star
Feather Star
Five-pointed Star
Flying Star
Four X Star
Four Stars Patch
Joining Star
Ladies’ Beautiful Star
Morning Star
New Star
Novel Star
Odd Star
Premium Star
Ribbon Star
Rolling Star
Sashed Star
Seven Stars
Star Lane
Star of Bethlehem
Star and Chains
Star of Many Points
Star and Squares
Star and Cubes
Star Puzzle
Shooting Star
Star of the West
Star and Cross
Star of Texas
Stars upon Stars
Squares and Stars
St. Louis Star
Star, A
Twinkling Star
Union Star
Wheel and Star
Western Star
    In connection with the “Star” quilt names it is worthy of notice that geometric names outnumber those of any other class. “Squares,” “triangles,” and “circles” are well represented, but the “Stars” easily lead with nearly fifty names.
    Names of various other geometric patterns appear below:
    Art Square
Barrister’s Blocks
Beggar’s Blocks
Box Blocks
Circle within Circle
Cross within Cross
Cross and Crown
Cube Work
Cube Lattice
Diamonds
Diamond Cube
Diamond Design
Double Squares
Domino and Square
Eight-point Design
Five Stripes
Fool’s Square
Four Points
Greek Cross
Greek Square
Hexagonal
Interlaced Blocks
Maltese Cross
Memory Blocks
Memory Circle
New Four Patch
New Nine Patch
Octagon
Pinwheel Square
Red Cross
Ribbon Squares
Roman Cross
Sawtooth