This giveaway is now over. The winner is Juanita Godsey. Congratulations, Juanita! You’ve won an Amish-made wall hanging! Please send your postal address to cindy@cindywoodsmall.com

We’ve been talking a bit about the tradition of Amish quilting.

Amish quilts have changed over the years. In my previous posts, I discussed a few different ways that Amish women reuse and recycle old fabric for quilts. Now, it is common for an Amish woman to shop for fabrics specifically for quilts. They will use bright colors and patterns and create eye-catching arrangements.

1. Lone Star Quilt

The Lone Star Quilt is a very common design for Amish quilts. It can be recognized by the large, single star in the center of the quilt. In an expertly-crafted quilt, the colors of the star are arranged in such a way as to almost mimic outward movement from the center of the star.

The open space next to the star often has beautiful and intricate stitching.

Many Amish quilts feature a star pattern. The sky and the heavenly bodies are important to them because without electricity, their lives are guided by the sun’s movements. Their days begin before the sun rises and slow to a near halt when the sun sets.

Because of the many modern technologies that surround our days, we often forget to stop and notice the beautiful sights of nature that God has placed all around us. If it’s been a while for you, try to pause regularly to enjoy the stars or watch a sunrise and sunset. It never fails to alter my current mode of thinking and mold it into something deeper and more appreciative of life.

You don’t have to escape technology and move to Lancaster County to be able to slow down and appreciate the beauty of nature.

2. Dresden Plate Quilt

The Dresden Plate quilt is named after a popular china that came from Dresden, Germany, from the early 1700s to the 1800s. Many of the Amish who emigrated to the East Coast of the United States did so from Germany. It’s very likely that they brought this pattern along with them.

In a way, I suppose this quilt could be a way to remember “the good ol’ days” back home. It’s a way to hold onto an old identity and heritage and pass it on to the next generation. It’s a reminder that the most important things in life are sometimes the simplest and the smallest and that a memory is never too trivial to pass on to your children.

While growing up, my family would travel from Maryland to Alabama to visit my grandparents each summer. They had nothing exciting going on. Ever. But I loved their squeaking screen doors and the sounds and smells of the summertime in the South as we sat on their porch sipping lemonade. Those days couldn’t have been more simple, but they influenced many parts of my life and continue to do so even today.

3. Log Cabin/Trip Around the World Quilt

The Log Cabin quilt pattern became very widely used because it was a perfect way to recycle old fabric scraps. Now, however, these quilts are usually purposefully planned and laid out to achieve an attractive color arrangement.

Although this quilt can be rearranged in many ways by changing the pattern of the light and dark fabrics (the one pictured above is called Trip Around the World), the most popular arrangement includes a red center patch. This red patch symbolizes the center place of life in a log cabin: the hearth. The surrounding patches are reminiscent of the logs that made up a log cabin.

This quilt reminds us of our history, the past, and how far we’ve traveled. Even the Amish culture has advanced and moved gently forward with the passing of time.

We should remember to take a few moments and be grateful for what we have. We should honor our family members who came before and worked so hard to give us a better life by being thankful and diligent in the way we live.

Giveaway

If you would like to enter for a chance to win the Amish-made wall hanging pictured above (It’s the Log Cabin pattern!), simply leave a comment at the bottom of this post on my website.

If you are reading this anywhere other than my website, such as on Facebook, in an email, or on Goodreads, please hop on over to my website by clicking here: https://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2013/07/08/modern-amish-quilt-designs/ and leaving a comment at the bottom of my post to enter the giveaway.

Only comments left on my website will be entered into the giveaway.

The deadline for this contest is Wednesday, July 17, 2013, at noon (Eastern Time). The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be contacted privately, as well as announced on the following post.

As always, please remember that all of my giveaways are limited to US residents only. Please visit my giveaway rules and FAQ page for a complete explanation of the terms and conditions of this giveaway.

Congratulations to Linda Critcher, the winner of last week’s giveaway. Linda has won a copy of What Once Was Lost, by Kim Vogel Sawyer.

Amish-made Quilt Contest

I love offering this Amish-made Quilt Contest each year, and I hope you’ll join in the fun! Each of the three quilts pictured above has been given away in this annual contest. You can read the few necessary rules on my website. The contest will close December 31, 2013, with the last entry accepted at midnight. A winner will be notified on or near January 15, 2014. The winner will be announced as soon as she or he responds to the notification.

To read the rules and to enter, go here: https://www.cindywoodsmall.com/contest/