The Lancaster Diamond Sampler Quilt

This colorful quilt is one of a small group of similar quilts made in the mid-1800s in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The most famous quilt in this group is the Fanny S. Bucher (1841-1910) quilt, an icon of Lancaster County quilting arts. The Lancaster Diamond Sampler Quilt was made by "Anonymous" and is obviously the sister to the Fanny S. Bucher quilt. The unusual feature of these quilts is that the diamond-shaped blocks are not the typical 45 degree diamond (Lone Star) or the 60 degree diamond (Tumbling Blocks) shapes that we usually find.

Although the two quilts share block designs and fabric, each of the 173 blocks in each quilt is a different design. The double-pink sashing and poison-green cornerstones frame each block and separate them into individual quilt block gems. Frequent use of Turkey Red and Chrome Yellow complete the "Dutchy" color scheme of these quilts.