My newest pattern, Modern Cotton Boll, has arrived. I couldn’t be more excited to share out this pattern with you, but also to pay homage to the imaginative women who first created this cotton boll block idea.
The appliqué cotton boll block dates back to 1850; while the pieced cotton boll block was introduced by a magazine in 1941.
I love both blocks for their unique interpretations of the fluffy bloom, which is why both types are re-imagined in this pattern.
We are going to dive into the quilty history of the cotton boll block, while first a brief look at how a cotton boll forms on a plant. It’s pretty darn cool.
The Cotton Crop
Can we first just acknowledge how amazing it is that this fluffy fiber grows out of a plant? We all can admit to the miracle of life in a living, breathing creature reproducing over and over. However, when you see this soft, white fiber birthing from a plant, it is just otherworldly.
I am from North Carolina. Cotton fields in bloom is the norm in October. Having seen them all my life, I never really thought much about them, until an out-of-stater told me she had never seen them before moving here. She said when she moved here, she stopped on the side of the road to take pictures. She was so amazed!
Then, I felt proud. Here below is a photo of a cotton field in prime bloom next to my parents’ house in eastern North Carolina.
In very late summer, the green, leafy cotton plants start to bloom a delicate pink or white flower.
When the bloom falls off, a cotton bud replaces it.
Pretty wild, huh?
If you want to learn more about the science of it all, click here.
If you look at the bloom straight on, from the top, you see it’s broken into four quadrants. You also notice the plant is now dead, and it’s prickly. So when cotton used to be picked by people, like my late grandmother, their fingers would get torn up and bloody.
Take note, though, of the four quadrants I mentioned above. This is where the idea for the design of the pieced cotton boll block came from in the Kansas City Star in February of 1941. While the appliqué block I’ll show you below was first introduced in the 1800s, this pieced version brought a resurgence of the pattern. It is the reason for the pieced blocks in my pattern. 😉
Cotton Boll Pieced Block
The famed Barbara Brackman, quilt historian extraordinaire, featured the original Kansas City Star pattern seen here on her website.
This piece of history is what I used to mimic the pieced version of the Modern Cotton Boll pattern I recreated.
Cotton Boll Appliqué Block
The history of the appliqué cotton boll block has a lot of tentacles. My modern version here in pink ombre is based off of the antique appliqué cotton boll block first noted in 1850ish. It has been suggested to first have come about through inspiration from the ceiling medallions and frieze designs in the governor’s home in North Carolina. This would have been John Motley Morehead (1841-1845) of Greensboro.* Given that he advocated for the education of women and hosted many events in his home, it can be concluded that the many women attending his events were inspired by his decor.
This spectacular quilt from the North Carolina Museum of History circa 1850-60, made by Nancy Johnston, showcases the traditional layout of the cotton boll quilt.
Most antique cotton boll quilts have colored cotton bolls (instead of white), a green stem. Earliest versions were a deep red cotton boll, later 1900s versions had yellow pink, or orange bolls. Also, they were arranged with four cotton bolls in a block as seen here. Each four-boll block typically had some sort of sashing. Here, you see flying geese with appliqué cornerstone buds.
For more antique versions, see Barbara Brackman’s blog post here.
This spectacular traditional recreation of the cotton boll quilt is displayed in the lobby of South Carolina’s Fountain Inn Museum. I was recently a guest speaker and teacher for the Nimble Thimble’s Quilt Guild. The very maker of this quilt, Debbie Fenton, hosted me while I was there. Though she spoke of her career in the textile industry, she failed to mention the recent honor of her original design featured so publicly in her community. Isn’t it stunning! You can read about it here.
Modern Cotton Boll
And now the finale; I would say the grand finale, but it doesn’t feel so grand after all that rich cotton quilty history. I recently made a cotton boll quilt complete with a pattern. This came about as QuiltCon, a national quilt show put on by the Modern Quilt Guild, was approaching in my local area of Raleigh, NC in 2024. My local quilt store owner of Cary Quilting Company offered local designers the chance to debut a new pattern in her booth at the show. WOW! I was not going to miss this opportunity.
I didn’t have a ton of time to write a pattern and complete a quilt for the event, so I didn’t make it too intricate. However, I instantly thought of the cotton boll quilt. I was inspired by a book I had recently read, Southern Quilts by Mary W. Kerr. Featured on the very cover is the cotton boll quilt!
*Click the link above or the photo of the book for the affiliate link to get your copy of the book.
What I created is a simple, pieced and raw edge appliqué quilt design. It is a traditional, on point layout. I made it as raw edge appliqué, but included in the templates is the option to add a seam and do it needle turn style if you wish.
The pattern, as all of my patterns, have diagrams and step-by-step instructions. It’s easy to follow, and easy to make.
Choose between a mini (wall hanging) size, or a throw size.
Check out all the fun color ways you could go with in your version!
If you are ever lucky enough to see or touch a cotton field in the fall, remember to stop and smell the roses.😊
