Violets Quilt

Like the Dresden plate and Imari quilts, this quilt also takes its pattern from bone china. The Aynsley pattern of Violets offered the inspiration for this quilt kit. This is one of five quilts in the Rankin collection that was made from a kit created by the Leeward Company. It was completed in 1992.

This piece is a block quilt, with no borders. There are 42 cream-colored blocks, six across and seven down. Each block is cross-stitched with a spray of violets, with four blossoms, three buds and an array of green leaves. Each spray is contained within a pink octagonal frame. The frames are elaborated with a scalloped border. At the corner of each block is a smaller version of this pink frame. The binding of the quilt is lavender, matching the light purple of the violets.

The Violet pattern, first used by the Aynsley Company as far back as 1875. The octagonal frame is like the polygonal top of a china teacup. By copying china patterns, quilters referred to other symbols of status and elegance.