The "Feather Star" pieced blocks alternate with blue and white blocks on which are applied scroll designs. This quilt, which is the only one of this pattern, was made about 1835. It was designed by a Mr. Hamill for his sweetheart, Mary Hayward] [Illustration: TULIP TREE LEAVES A modern quilt made by the mountaineers of South Carolina. Colours: light blue and pink] Beautiful, even gorgeous, materials were imported for costumes of the wives and daughters of the wealthy colonists. There may be a greater variety of fabrics woven to-day, but none is more splendid in texture and colour than those worn by the stately ladies of colonial times. The teachings of the strict Puritans advocated plainness and simplicity of dress; even the ministers in the churches preached against the "sinfulness of display of fine raiment." Notwithstanding the teachings and pleadings of the clergy, there was great rivalry in dress among the inhabitants of the larger colonial towns. "Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy," was unnecessary advice to give to the rich colonist or to his wife. Men's attire was also of costly velvets lined with handsome brocades; beautifully embroidered waistcoats, silk stockings, and gold lace trimmings were further additions to their costumes during the pre-Revolutionary period. After these gay and costly fabrics had served their time as wearing apparel, they were carefully preserved and made over into useful articles for the household. The pinch of hard times during the struggle for independence made it imperative for many well-to-do families to economize. Consequently, in many old patchwork quilts may be found bits of the finest silks, satins, velvets, and brocades, relics of more prosperous days. Alice Morse Earle, in her charming book on "Home Life in Colonial Days," gives us a rare insight into our great-grandmothers' fondness for patchwork, and how highly they prized their bits of highly coloured fabrics: "The feminine love of colour, the longing for decoration, as well as pride in skill of needlecraft, found riotous expression in quilt making. Women revelled in intricate and difficult patchwork; they eagerly exchanged patterns with one another; they talked over the designs, and admired pretty bits of calico and pondered what combinations to make, with far more zest than women ever discuss art or examine high art specimens together to-day. There was one satisfactory condition in the work, and that was the quality of cottons and linens of which the patchwork was made. Real India chintzes and palampores are found in these quilts, beautiful and artistic stuffs, and the firm, unyielding, high-priced, 'real' French calicoes. [Illustration: MEXICAN ROSE Made in 1842. Colours: red and green. Note the exquisite quilting] [Illustration: CURRANTS AND COCKSCOMB Small red berries combined with conventionalized leaves. This quilt has captured first prizes at many state fairs]