Xenia's Zinnia

Xenia at Legacy Quilts has this mid-19th-century Maryland quilt in her inventory

and we've been discussing the pattern.

She says it's a clamshell variation

and I didn't see it that way till she mentioned it.

I find I have a lot of examples filed away.

But she's right---the geometry is ever larger clamshell shapes

Pieced or appliqued?

This one is so nicely drafted and quilted.

Looks pieced to me.

It hasn't got a BlockBase number as a pieced quilt

or an Encyclopedia of Applique number either.

The closest thing would be in applique 

#14.22 which is "unnamed from a circa 1840 album quilt"

Below is a detail of page 80 in the Encyclopedia of Applique.

It should go right there between 14.22 and 14.23

There's something similar called Zinnia at 14.23 from Nancy Cabot in the 1930s.

It's only similar because of the structure---8 identical radiating petals.

So maybe we should be calling this pattern Zinnia

with apologies to Xenia.

A zinnia

Stuffed work

Chrome yellow in the center

Chrome orange in the center

The latest one I found---20th century

Most are red and green from the 1840-1870 period.

This looks embroidered around each clamshell.

You could go on and on.

Once I saw this one I realized it is in BlockBase. Hubert Ver Mehren at the pattern company we call Home Art Studios did the design as a Whole Top Pattern.

In the 1930s it was published as The Royal Aster.

It's BlockBase #3999

The center starts out as the same except it has 12 clamshells

rotating around the center circle.

I searched for Royal Aster at the Quilt Index and found a few.

Royal Aster By Julia Marsh, 1945.

Nebraska Project, Quilt Index

Royal Aster by Blanche Buhler, 1981

Michigan Project, Quilt Index

Because that variation is in BlockBase I can give you a pattern of sorts for the block.

It's the center of the Royal Aster with 12 clamshells.

I printed a preview of the pattern for #3999 and focused on the center.

I added a bigger circle in the center and you could add a larger circle yourself.

To Print:

• Create a word file or a new empty JPG file that is 8-1/2" x 11". 
• Click on the image above. 
• Right click on it and save it to your file. 
• Print that file out 8-1/2" x 11". 
• Adjust the printed page size if necessary. Or enlarge it on a copy machine.
• Add seams when you cut the fabric.

So maybe it's an Aster rather than a Zinnia.

They are members of the same family.

See the preview of my Encyclopedia of Applique here:

https://books.google.com/books?id=1XuDTrxwnEMC&pg=PA80&lpg=PA80&dq=zinnia+quilt+nancy+cabot&source=bl&ots=Q0au8VySuJ&sig=NVlkOcK1FjnDi92jm9WKFeUH0P8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjdl5CKm9LLAhXFQyYKHQC5DwUQ6AEIQTAJ#v=onepage&q=zinnia%20quilt%20nancy%20cabot&f=false