Traditional quilt block identification quiz

Answer key

1. Nine Patch. This simple version uses nine equal square patches in three rows and three columns. More complex blocks can also use a nine-patch framework.
2. Four Patch. This simple version contains four square patches in two rows and two columns. The name describes its basic framework.
3. Pinwheel. The four half-square-triangle units create a turning-blade appearance. Pinwheel variants can have additional piecing or different published names.
4. Log Cabin. The surrounding strips suggest stacked logs. Light and dark placement can create many appearances when these blocks are arranged in a quilt.
5. Courthouse Steps. The Illinois State Museum explains this opposite-side construction as Courthouse Steps. It differs from working continuously around the center.
6. Flying Geese. A central broad triangle and its side triangles form the recognizable unit. The museum records this traditional name; arrangements can vary.
7. Ohio Star. This schematic uses a central square and four hourglass units for its star points. It is the Ohio Star version selected for this quiz.
8. Shoo Fly. The corner triangle units distinguish this selected Shoo Fly version from the hourglass side units of the Ohio Star.
9. Dresden Plate. A circular plate of wedge-shaped blades surrounds the center. Blade tips and names vary, so the options here avoid overlapping flower-pattern aliases.
10. Fan. This selected Fan version spreads from a corner rather than forming a full circular plate. Wedge tips and exact construction can vary.
11. Bars. The dominant structure is parallel bars. Color choice is secondary to the repeated straight-strip layout.
12. Crazy patchwork. The irregular shapes do not follow the regular repeated grid used by the other options. Crazy-style quilts can also feature decorative seam embroidery.
13. Bear’s Paw. The selected version groups square pads and triangle claws into four paw-like units. Bear’s Paw designs have variations in layout and sashing.
14. Jacob’s Ladder. This selected Jacob’s Ladder version combines checkerboard units with triangular units, producing a diagonal stepped effect.
15. Lone Star. The star’s rays are built from small diamond patches. This identifies the selected Lone Star structure without claiming every eight-point star shares one name.
16. 9. Count its three rows of three equal squares: 3 × 3 = 9. This count is for the simple illustrated version.
17. Two rows by two columns. The displayed four equal squares make a two-by-two grid. A complex block can use a four-patch framework without being this simple checkerboard.
18. Half-square-triangle units. Each square unit is divided diagonally into two triangles. Their orientation creates the turning-blade effect.
19. Rectangular strips. The strips build around the center square. Their sequence and light/dark placement distinguish a Log Cabin layout from a simple grid.
20. On two opposite sides, then the other opposite sides. The opposite-side pairs produce a symmetrical step arrangement. This construction contrast is more reliable than fabric color alone.
21. 2. There is one background triangle on each side. Count the pieces in the shown unit rather than assuming a universal quilt size.
22. At the middle of the four sides. The hourglass units sit above, below, left and right of the center square. Together their triangles make the eight-point star effect.
23. Its half-square-triangle units are at the corners. Read the corner triangle units and center square in this selected version. The Ohio Star example instead uses hourglass units at the side middles.
24. A quarter-circle spread versus a complete circular ring. The selected Fan spreads from a corner; the selected Dresden Plate encircles a center. Names and variants need their own documented context.
25. 8. Count the eight radiating outer tips. Small diamond patches subdivide the rays; they do not add new outer star points.
26. The setting of the blocks. The lesson distinguishes the Log Cabin block from the Barn Raising arrangement. A whole-quilt setting and a single block name are different levels of description.
27. A documented design can carry more than one name. The Met’s catalog uses both labels in that object’s title. Keep names tied to their documented version rather than marking every alternate name wrong.
28. Its two-by-two square framework. Rotating the unit does not change the count or arrangement of its four square patches. Orientation and setting can affect the appearance of a larger quilt.
29. The patch shapes and their arrangement. Structure and documented naming matter. The museum’s examples show how individual color and material choices can personalize familiar designs.
30. No; those claims need object-specific evidence. A pattern label is not complete provenance. Museum records separately document maker attribution, date range, place and materials, sometimes with uncertainty.