A Few Feathered Stars: Variations with Sunbursts

This quilt from the Kansas quilt project and the Quilt Index

looks to be about 1880-1910,

made by Sarah States in Illinois.

I have pictures of several similar quilts from the end of the 19th century with faded khaki colors.

This one's from Sharon Yenter's collection

but it isn't quite the same pattern.

From the Kirk Collection

probably late-19th century

Here's an older one from dealer John Saul with fancier border and fancier quilting, natural green rather than synthetically dyed khaki, both indicating an earlier date of 1840-1880 . Apparently the feathered star with a circular center and a sunburst goes back to the mid-19th-century.

Very similar design, same time, same colors, less fancy.

From Shelly Zegart's collection.

Twelve spokes on the wheel, two circles framing the center.

This one from Laura Syler's Pinterest page.

It's about impossible to find two the same.

probably mid-19th century

The despair of a quilt pattern indexer.

Kentucky Quilt Project, probably late 19th century

Rosetta Cox Singleton

Iowa Quilt Project

probably mid-19th century

Margaret Webster

Iowa Quilt Project

Hard to date since indigo and white was so popular over so many decades.

In BlockBase and my Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns I drew up two versions.

BlockBase #2270

This may be the earliest published pattern. In 1934 Mrs. Danner's Quilts sold a pattern and gave it two names: Golden Splendor in golds and Star Spangled Banner in red, white and blue.

The surviving quilts show many more variations than have been published as patterns. It seems like the more complex the pattern the more variations you see.