Rose of Sharon or Coxcomb Wreath, w/ a classic serpentine vine border - Kansas City Quilt Project Antique Quilt

The pattern laid out across the quilt is a traditional Rose of Sharon or Coxcomb Wreath, featuring a classic serpentine vine border. Measures a huge 96" square. Exceptional quilt, very minor tanning, one tiny mark, and one, unfortunately, tiny very small hole that goes through to the back (hence the discounted price). Not noticeable, in my opinion, when hung - the detail, colors, exceptional hand quilting overwhelms the eye with grandeur! 

• The Blocks: Rather than standard squares, this quilt uses an elegant on-point layout. Each medallion block features eight stylized, scalloped flower buds curving gracefully to form a perfect circular wreath.

• The Border: A hallmark of premium 19th-century quilts is a border that mirrors the main design. The maker created a beautiful running vine that meanders along the edge, sprouting matching buds and leaves to frame the entire composition.

2. Fabric Clues & Fine Hand-Appliqué

The materials and construction tell a wonderful historical story:

• The Prints: Look closely at the flower buds. The primary pink/red fabric isn't a modern solid—it is a gorgeous 19th-century calico print featuring a tiny white geometric trail. The lighter pink tips are a complementary solid cotton. The green fabric used for the leaves features a classic tiny yellow pin-dot print. This fabric combination strongly indicates an origin date between the 1870s and 1890s.

• The Stitching: The appliqué is extraordinarily precise. The maker used tiny, blind slip-stitches to turn under the curved edges of the buds and leaves so seamlessly that the stitching is nearly invisible from the front.

3. Masterful Background Quilting

Because an appliqué quilt leaves massive fields of open white space, the quilter used their needle as a pen to create texture. You can see breathtaking fancy quilting:

• The Fill: The white ground is filled with an exceptionally tight diagonal grid or "crosshatch" pattern. This compresses the white fabric down, making the floral wreaths pop out in dramatic relief.

• The Medallions: In the open spaces between the wreaths, the quilter hand-stitched large, flowing feathers and floral motifs that are only visible through the shadows cast on the white cloth.

4. Exceptional Provenance: The Kansas Quilt Project

The tag pinned or stitched to the back elevates this from a beautiful family heirloom to a piece of documented textile history.

• The Label: It reads "Kansas Quilt Project 1986 — Kansas State Historical Society # Ie 47".

• The Significance: In the 1980s, a massive effort swept across America to document, register, and photograph historic quilts before their stories were lost. The Kansas Quilt Project was one of the landmark state documentation efforts. Seeing this registry number means this exact quilt was brought in by a descendant in 1986, examined by textile historians, and its specific family lineage and history are preserved forever in the state archives.

It is an incredibly elegant, museum-quality piece with the official tag to match!