Rocky Mountains & Crown of Thorn Quilts

Collection of Charlene Bongiorno Stephens

Over at the QuiltHistorySouth Facebook page we have been looking at variations of this pattern. It's one of my favorites due to its complexity and the many traditions that seem associated with it.

Cindy Rennels's Inventory

Complexity: It's one of the few patterns that is made up of both block and sash. 

Tradition: You have to have both the block with four fans and the sash with spiky triangles. And then there is the sunburst in the cornerstone.

Ileana Villazon's Inventory

One that follows all the rules

The great thing about Southern quilts is the tradition of innovation within the rules.

Paula Cochrane's collection

Add a floral

Jasper Auction a while ago

Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Or add a sunburst to the fan block

Donna Vitale

Or follow your own muse.

You see many with applique in the sashing rather than the spiky triangles.

Bill Volckening's Collection

Cindy Rennels

But never the same appliqued sash twice.

Attributed to M. E. Plonk, 

North Carolina project & the Quilt Index

Attributed to Mary Ann Elam Ross

Texas project & the Quilt Index

Julie Silber's Inventory

When we have information about the quiltmaker we find those made before

the 1920's and the pattern's publication have Southern origins.

Mountain Mist published it as New York Beauty and that's the name it's

known by today, although Southerners called it Rocky Mountain,

Rocky Mountain Road, Crown of Thorns or Polk in the White House.

Attributed to Ellen Miller Williams, Monroe County, Kentucky

Texas project & the Quilt Index

A little extra in the sashing

International Quilt Museum Collection

A lot extra in the sashing

Merikay Waldvogel Collection

Susan Fish McCalley Troup County, Georgia

Once in Matt McComber's collection

Pieced roses in the sashing.

A unique vision!

And Brenda sent this one.

Variation within a structure.

Southern style.

Ask to join our Facebook Group QuiltHistorySouth.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2427588900863781

And see some earlier posts:
http://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2013/12/new-york-beauty.html
http://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2013/12/new-york-beauty-evidence-of-pattern-name.html
http://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2017/02/crown-of-thorns-with-appliqued-sashing.html