Tulip Tree quilt, Clarenca Bradford Kimble

Archive Label 2003: A fashion for floral appliqué of the sort demonstrated in this quilt developed in the United States around 1840. Clarenca Bradford Kimble made this quilt for her son David. Her initials are stitched into the corner. Exhibition Label: "Quilts! Imported Fabrics, American Treasures," May-2004, Barbara Brackman Variations of this appliquéd pattern are known as “Prairie Flower,” “Missouri Rose” or “Rose Tree.” Quilters chose imported Turkey red cottons because they could rely on the dye’s colorfastness, but they also loved the look of a traditional red and green color scheme that owed much to Pennsylvania German design. Bright yellow-orange and pink were popular accent colors in the appliquéd quilts of the mid-nineteenth century. The yellow fabric, dyed with a chrome orange mineral dye, and the pink, printed in a style known as Double Pink, were probably domestic fabrics, manufactured in New England, as were the green and white plain cottons.