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Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Order of Rebekah Quilt
1920-40
Members of the Temple Hill Daughters of Rebekah
USA: Illinois, Temple Hill
Cotton
overall: 85"h x 64"w
Special Acquisitions Fund
94.007

Independent Order of Odd Fellows Quilt; pieced and hand-appliqued cotton quilt with Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) and degree of Rebekah symbols and 48 star American flag; triple border of green, pink and white bands; design of twelve (12) pink and green stars. Also features a pyramid marked AMOS WE NEVER SLEEP, the emblem of the Ancient Mystic Order of Samaritans, a recreation-oriented group connected with the Odd Fellows. Pieced by hand and machine. Some blocks have embroidered details. Twelve blocks, each roughly 16 1/4" square. Hand-quilted with six stitches to the inch. Back to front binding; thin cotton batting. Backing is two pieces of muslin.


This quilt, in the pastel colors popular with quilters in the 1920s and 1930s, is thought to have been made as a fundraiser by members of an Illinois Rebekah Lodge. The makers obviously crafted it for those well acquainted with the iconography of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Almost every block features a different symbol of that organization, from the heart and hand representing charity, to the ark and rainbow representing commitment. The makers also featured emblems associated with their own group, the women's auxiliary of the Odd Fellows, displaying their beehive (representing industry), lily (representing purity), dove (representing peace), and crescent with seven stars (representing order in the universe). The makers also presented their own emblem directly below the flag of the United States and the symbols of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows-three links, a skull, and the all-seeing eye. The pyramid marked AMOS WE NEVER SLEEP was the emblem of the Ancient Mystic Order of Samaritans, a recreation-oriented group connected with the Odd Fellows. For further information, see blog post, August 27, 2020, https://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/library_and_archives/2020/08/temple-hill-quilt-1924-40-members-of-the-temple-hill-daughters-of-rebekah-temple-hill-illinois-museum-purchase-94007.html