NOTES
From a distance, this quilt’s striking diamond-shaped pattern catches the eye, but closer inspection reveals that the diamonds are created from many small squares. The design is called Barn Raising, a variation of the traditional Log Cabin pattern. Each small square block is made up of 16 rectangular fabric pieces (logs) around a red center square, the hearth at the center of the cabin. The quilter joined the squares, arranging their light and dark halves to create the larger light and dark concentric diamonds.
Made in St. Louis by Mary Kelly, wife of James Kelly, an Irish-born riverboat pilot, this treasured family heirloom was passed down through several generations of Mary’s descendants, who gifted it to the Saint Louis Art Museum.
