Patterning the APRS & a Fleur-de-Lys Medallion

 Hollingsworth Family Quilt, 1858, detail Collection of the 

Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society.

In my blog post of January 19th, 2019, I wrote about an applique quilt block pattern known by various names including, an "Apple Pie Ridge Star" (which is what I will call it for the rest of this post). Much of that article was published by the American Quilt Study Group in their newsletter, Blanket Statements, as was a subsequent follow-up about the topic you are reading, here. My previous post focused on names for the pattern. Today, we will explore a technique for making it commonly referred to as Scherenschnitte, which is a folded paper technique. 

When thinking of a Fleur-de-Lys the motif at left may be what comes first to mind, but these are just three of many that are considered variations of a Fleur-de-Lys which means, simply, 'stylized lily.' It is the motif at right that can be used as a quarter-pattern to form the basis of an "Apple Pie Ridge Star." 

If you begin by placing it on a 135-degree angle on paper or fabric that is folded at the bottom and the left, the unfolded result will be a slim version of an "Apple Pie Ridge Star," Now, if you were to begin by drawing a new pattern more widely around the shape (or if you simply cut widely around it), it would become a version that, when unfolded, would produce a plumper "Apple Pie Ridge Star." (When cutting, be sure to leave some of the folded edges uncut so that your quarter-patterns stay connected.)

 

Pidgeon Family Quilt, c. 1850, detail. 

Collection of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

Interestingly, I recently had the opportunity to examine the Cather-Robinson Quilt, dated 1848, which was inscribed with the names of Frederick County, Virginia, residents. I look forward to sharing much more about it, soon. Currently owned by the Willa Cather Institute of Shenandoah University, it is in the process of being donated to the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley. This quilt has a lot of fascinating history but my attention was drawn to one particular block.

 Cather-Robinson Quilt, c. 1850. Collection of the Willa Cather Institute of Shenandoah University.

It was so familiar-looking that I tried cutting a pattern for it using a quarter-pattern of an "Apple Pie Ridge Star." However, instead of placing the quarter Fleur-de-Lys on paper that was folded at the left and bottom, I placed it with the folds of the paper at the right and bottom. I had to make different cuts along the bottom half of the pattern to exactly reproduce a pattern of the pictured block, but it was easy to make accurate patterns for both an "Apple Pie Ridge Star" AND a Fleur-de-Lys medallion using the same quarter pattern as a base. This is especially significant because the Cather-Robinson Quilt block shown here was made withing just ten years of several other quilt made and inscribed by residents of Frederick County, Virginia, that have "Apple Pie Ridge Star" blocks. 

I am now revisiting my research and discovering that several historical album quilts with "Apple Pie Ridge Stars" also have Fleur-de-Lys medallions, possibly cut from the same quarter-patterns. It is exciting to imagine mid-nineteenth-century quiltmakers experimenting with the patterns they shared!

Notes:

All text and photographs on this site are by Mary Holton Robare unless otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. ©Mary Holton Robare 2019.

Illustrations of patterns shown here were created on folded plastic transparencies by Christopher E. Robare.

Thank you to the American Quilt Study Group for encouraging, supporting and publishing my research. To learn more about this organization or to join visit: https://americanquiltstudygroup.org