How the tulip pattern was handed around in the last half of the 19th century remains a mystery.
The color scheme and its bloom of diamond shapes is a characteristic.
North Carolina Museum of History
by Nancy M Steele Mills (1818-1890), Iredell County
In this sad survivor the green has faded to a pale tan.
Once Ruby McKim published her Tulip Applique in the late 1920s her design became a popular source. She must have seen a similar quilt as her design is a lot like the Southern examples. Note that her pattern was for a 16" block.
This one was probably made from McKim's pattern
I bet that block is 16 inches or more.
When I was looking for patterns I found that the Electric Quilt program
includes a pattern for Laura Ella Anderson's North Carolina quilt.
I modified the colors to the traditional palette.
(It's under "04 Classic Applique---Flowers on Point")
And then I decided that Laura's leaves weren't that graceful
so I redrew them.
Here's a free pattern for an 8" block. If you print it 150% it makes a 12" block, which would give it the proper Carolina proportion. Add seams.
(Double it for 16" and go crazy.)
And that is the end of the Giant Tulip invasion.