| Quilting History |
The Dresden Plate quilt pattern was one of the most popular quilts made during the 1920s and 30s. It was first published in the 20s but not always under the name Dresden Plate. Grandmother's Sunburst, Friendship Ring, Aster, Dahlia and Sunflower are all names used for this pattern. The 1930s version is usually easy to date because of the typical floral prints of the period. Some were made with prettily patterned feedsacks while a few were done with solid prints. This quilt is made of blocks with fabric appliquéd in a series of radiating "petals" with flat sides. Usually they radiate from a central circle which is more representative of a flower than a plate thus the flower names seen for this pattern. Although this pattern was not well known until the late 1920s there were precursors to this pattern in the fan patterns of the late 1800s . You may have seen these fans in a Victorian crazy quilt. Some Dresden Plate blocks appear to be made of 4 fans sewn together. These wheels made of four fans were first seen in wool and later in cotton. |
