In our region of Pennsylvania, this type of quilt is commonly referred to as "a Star of Bethlehem". Most of us recognize that this may not be the historical name of the pattern, but we prefer the reference to our culture.
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania was founded in 1741 by a group of Moravians led by David Nitschmann and Count Nicolaus von Zinzendorf . The name of the city was chosen because the Moravians founded the mission on Christmas Eve.
In 1937, a large electrical star was built atop South Mountain to glow above the city. Many of us have "Moravian Stars" in our house; they can be made of paper (below left) and there are many that are made of leaded glass.
Two other areas in our valley were inhabited by Moravians including Emmaus which is slightly southwest of Allentown and northwest of Easton is Nazareth. If you are interested in learning about the Moravians, you can learn more about them here.
I have a number of star quilts in my collection but "Stars of Bethlehem" remain among my favorite.
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