I took another trip down what most would refer to as "the rabbit hole" when searching for a quilt pattern. It started as just a search for quilt patterns in old newspapers and I stumbled upon this request for a Periwinkle quilt pattern.
I wasn't sure what the Periwinkle pattern was and of course, began to search for the pattern. I found a couple of examples in the early 1930s and here is the clearest image I found:
Now maybe you are having a similar "aha" moment. I've always known this pattern as hummingbird and duh...I made one many years ago (no photo available, must have been before I went digital with the photographs). I had paper pieced mine.
Of course I did a search to see if I could find an ad for a "hummingbird quilt pattern" in old newspapers...but I couldn't find one that matched this layout. From what I gathered from Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia, it was published under this name in a 1979 book called Prize Winning Quilts. I wonder if Linda had this book and that's why it struck me as hummingbird?
But of course, my search for hummingbird quilts took me down a completely different tunnel in my rabbit hole...
This 1937 quilt pattern actually reminded me of hummingbirds gathered around a single flower gathering nectar. However, any of us who have actually watched hummingbirds know they are that cooperative with each other. One dominant one chases the other ones away...😀
Nancy Page marketed this pretty applique pattern:
According to B. Brackman, even this pattern that we normally know as "maple leaf" was once dubbed "hummingbird" by Comfort magazine.
And just for you to understand how crazy some of these searches can get...how about the story that popped up about a woman named Ruby Hummingbird (not kidding) who was a quiltmaker and got trapped in her folding bed:
Of course I learned all kinds of facts about hummingbirds on this search. The most interesting? Hummingbirds don't walk or hop. They only use their legs to scratch themselves or walk sideways on a branch.
But getting back to the quilting pattern, if you want to make one there are two tutorials that I found that might help you. One is here from Missouri Star Company. Another is from Red Pepper Quilts and you can find it here.
No matter what you call it, I wonder how neat the pattern would look with periwinkle fabric and white/beige tones triangles. What do you think?
Rabbit hole journalist, signing out...
Have a safe and happy day!
The Nancy Page humming bird pattern is for embroidery.
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