The Original Calico Garden Quilt By Florence Peto
Circa 1950 - Part of the Shelburne Museum Collection
This quilt first appeared in the December 1951 "Woman's Day" magazine. Soon after Ms. Peto donated the quilt to the Shelburne Museum in Vermont, a folk art museum founded a few years earlier by Electra Havemayer Webb. The crib sized quilt (39" x 49") has 35 three inch appliquéd flower blocks set on point surrounded by 48 nine patches. The outer borders include broderie perse bouquets as well as 1" squares set on point.
The flower block patterns and construction methods have been documented by Froncie Quinn. That pattern can be purchased from Hoopla Patterns. They specialize in museum quilt reproductions and have a nice historic collection of authentic reproduction patterns.
Florrie's Garden Extraordinaire is a large version of this quilt with 192 flower blocks.
See how this quilt is inspiring a group of Arkansas Quilters called the Calico Gardeners.