Lotus
1934
Hand-pieced, appliquéd, and quilted cotton

Collection of The Quilt Conservancy

Quilters have been using variations of this pieced and appliquéd block design since at least 1844 and have called it such names as Lady Finger, Fanny's Favorite, Whig's Defeat, and Grandmother's Engagement Ring. By 1934, quilters could order a version of this pattern, called Lotus Blossom, by mail from the Kansas business operated by Mrs. Danner who added the smaller leaf appliqué block. Bertha Stenge's version of Danner's pattern added a dramatic scalloped border that complements the curves of the pieced and appliqué blocks. A color photograph of Stenge's Lotus quilt is pictured on a canopy bed in a 1947 issue of Ladies' Home Journal, where the pattern was offered for sale. The colors of pink and green were popular for appliqué quilts made in the Colonial Revival style during the 1930s.