Blue Eagle quilt block

Blue Eagle

October 8, 1933-The Blue Eagle quilt design was published for the first time in Nancy Cabot's Chicago Tribune column. The design was "inspired by the NRA emblem seen all over the country and known all over the world." The Tribune designed the pattern with the idea that it would be "the answer to many quilters' fervent prayers for SOMETHING NEW!" wrote Nancy.


The picture in the newspaper presenting the Blue Eagle quilt pattern was a picture of the whole quilt instead of just a block "because it is original and timely, and therefore important."  The colors, "of course, are a strong blue against a pure white."


A copy of Nancy's pattern can be seen here. The original block was to be 6" wide and 18" long. I didn't make the block since it won't fit in my sampler quilt of 6" blocks. A quilt made according to this pattern would look like this-

The quilt is different from the image Nancy published in her Chicago Tribune column however. In the newspaper drawing, the inner borders formed four patch blocks in the corners. Other than that, the layout is the same.

I wonder if this original pattern ever took off because I can't find any examples of it.


Tomorrow-Violets