Twinkling Star quilt, or Eight-Point Star quilt, or Windmill Star quilt

Christina Hays Malcom, artist

1820–1878

Twinkling Star quilt, or Eight-Point Star quilt, or Windmill Star quilt, circa 1840–1884

Where object was made: United States

Material/technique: patchwork; calico; quilting; appliqué; cotton; piecing

Credit line: Gift of Miss Iva James

Accession number: 1972.0126

Not on display

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Quilts from the University of Kansas Museum of Art

(No. 8)The pieces of a Star pattern can be combined into many configurations like this one whose four white triangles in the center seem to form a windmill. The stars are pieced while the purple calico grid and vine border have been appliqued.

Mrs. Malcom’s quilts were brought to Kansas by her son Jonathan when he moved West from Indiana in 1884. The fact that quilts were moved West with their owners while many other possessions were left behind suggests that quilts were often highly prized. Mrs. Malcom seems to have taken a considerable pride in her work for she inscribed and dated several of her quilts. Her quilts joined with those of her relative, Harriett T. James (Quilt Nos. 1 and 4) to form the Malcom-James Collection.