Elizabeth's Block Revisited

Today I was playing with my set of block photos.  I have one set of photos of each of the original Chester Criswell quilt blocks which are in an album with a written description of the block maker and other interesting statistics.  I have a second set of photos which are loose, and I can spread them out according to pattern, family connections or whatever.  This morning I was using the photos to plan which patterns would be in The First Year and which ones would wait until the follow year/s.

This photo caught my eye.


Lydia Baker, Philadelphia

It's not in good condition, the red fabric has deteriorated badly.  I don't think Lydia Baker was a family member.  Lydia was most likely a school friend of Mary Criswell - there are no Bakers in the genealogy and the block is in the outside row of the quilt, not close to the centre with family.
However, what struck me today was the shape of the applique.  It was both familiar and not familiar.  Scanning through the other photos I found its match.

Elizabeth Cowan, Sadsburyville

It's the same patten as Block 2, Elizabeth Cowan's block.  The two outside arms of the leaf have been cut as part of the main block, and the inside of the leaf is a single piece.  The inside of the leaf shape branches differently but the outline is the same.  The finished effect is quite different.  I wonder if Lydia and Elizabeth were using the same source for a pattern.  Perhaps they had a one colour design and chose to make it with two colours.

Today was the first time I realised the two blocks are the same.  That's one of the reasons why I like this quilt so much.  Each time I look at it I find something new.