Medallion Quilt

Elizabeth Welsh’s use of reverse appliqué, in which the fabric that provides the ground for a design is meticulously cut away from the decorative elements that lie below, shows the care that went into creating this patriotic medallion quilt. Since several nearly identical quilts have been attributed to the Baltimore area, it is likely that Welsh had a connection to this region through friends or relatives. In advance of the national Bicentennial in 1976, this pattern was translated into a popular kit, titled “American Eagle.”