Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library

Masonic quilt; white cotton album quilt with meandering oak leaf trendril border, enclosing 30 appliqued blocks quilted in diamond-shaped patterns; blocks include a Masonic square and compasses enclosing the letter "G"; crescent moon and stars; a cross, anchor and heart (Faith, Hope and Charity); a stag, a horseshoe, a pitcher filled with flowers, a maple leaf bordered circle embroidered "Feb. 14 / 1887"; a variety of fruit including strawberries, apples, plums, blueberries; and various wildflowers including cat tails, oak leaves and acorns, sunflower, marsh marigold, and lily; lower left corner inscribed "Cole" in ink. Appliqued and pieced by hand and machine. The thirty blocks are 11" square. Hand-quilted at nine stitches per inch. Single border appliqued with a leafy vine. Straight-applied binding; thin cotton batting. Off-white cotton backing.

A mysterious inscription, the name "Cole" inked in small letters on the left-hand corner of the hem, is the only hint of who may have originally owned or made this quilt. To the 1800s viewer, however, symbols appliquéd on the quilt would have presented some clues as to what organizations the maker was connected to, the values she held, and the events she wished to remember. In addition to many stylized depictions of flowers, she included a Masonic emblem, featuring a level, compasses, and the letter G-indicating she may have had a male relation who was a Freemason. The cross, anchor, and heart seen together, a common nineteenth-century symbol, stood for the pious ideals of faith, hope, and charity. The date, February 14, 1887, was embroidered within a wreath of maple leaves. Now we celebrate this date as Valentine's Day, but it may have held a different significance for the maker. It could have been a wedding, a birthday, or even the day she completed the quilt.