The History of Quilting Patterns & Free Quilt Block Patterns

Before magazines and mail order patterns were widely available women shared them with each other. A pattern might have been mailed to a sister out west as well as given to the neighbor just down the road.

The study of these patterns is an intriguing blend of fact and myth. Where did their names come from and when were they designed?

Quilt Pattern Biscuit or Puff Bear's Paw Honeycomb

Jacob's Ladder Basket Quilts Log Cabin Mariner's Compass

Irish Chain Wedding Ring Lone Star

Free doll and baby quilt patterns from the 19th and 20th
centuries along with the history of children's quilts.

Children's Quilts Child Quilt History Scottie Pattern

Basket Pattern Log Cabin Pattern Biscuit Pattern

9 Patch Pattern Medallion Pattern

I've been having so much fun designing quilts I decided to build a little pattern site. Go visit Patterns From History and take a look around. They are all free for you to use.

Traditional Bible Block History and Patterns
Make a Bible quilt in remembrance of how important the Bible
has been to women throughout American history.

Quilt Block Patterns of America's Pioneers
These are for quilts related to the westward migrations including a bit of history as to why they were popular with pioneer women.

Quilt Block Patterns from the Colonial Revival
For popular quilts from the 1920s and 30s when there was a new interest in the "old fashioned" art of quilting.

Civil War Quilting Patterns
Make quilts like those made for fairs and for soldiers.