Technical notes and description: Tabby-weave cotton face and back; cotton filling. Folding and cutting a piece of paper in quadrants would yield a template for a distinctive square applique motif. The stylized floral blossom print of the red cotton seems appropriately suited to make up the grid of three by four central units. The four-leafed dahlia-like blossom border adds a spontaneity to the formality of the central ground. The windblown blossoms have red and gold printed cotton heads and vermicelli-printed leaves. Quilting running stitch follows the applique elements along the border, and in the void between central motifs are vases with flowers and grapes.

Book excerpt: David B. Warren, Michael K. Brown, Elizabeth Ann Coleman, and Emily Ballew Neff. American Decorative Arts and Paintings in the Bayou Bend Collection. Houston: Princeton Univ. Press, 1998.