Block 10 Fleur de Lis

I have postponed doing this blog post.  Miriam did such a good job as guest blogger I was reluctant to bump her off the top of the blog!

Triva question - What is the plural of fleur de lis?

Block 10 Rachel Dickey's Fleur de Lis 

According to Wikipedia, fleur means flower and lis means lily, although the fleur de lis symbol is more like an iris than a lily.  The fleur de lis design can be "religious, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic"

The fleur de lis is certainly well known as an applique block.
Barbara Brackman lists it as applique block # 6.6.

Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Applique

The International Quilt Study Center has five fleur de lis quilts in their online collections.  I like this one the best.

"International Quilt Study Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1997.007.0836"

This quilt was probably made in Massachusetts between 1840 and 1860, so it is a contemporary of the Chester Criswell Quilt.  Doesn't the pattern look different on point?  The applique work is striking, but it's the quilting which is phenomenal.

I have been asked how many people are making blocks from the Chester Criswell Quilt. I have seen photos of blocks from twelve different people, but I suspect there are more than that.  Have you finished a block that hasn't been shown?  We'd all love to see it!

Trivia answer: the plural of fleur de lis is fleurs de lis. Now you know.