Housetop Variation

Description

Housetop quilts are so named because of the repeated motif of concentric squares, as if one were viewing a shingled rooftop from above. The quilter chooses a medallion of fabric for the center and constructs the rest of the quilt outward in a radiating fashion. At the center of this example, Gee’s Bend quilter Annie Mae Young placed a rectangle of fabric featuring two flowers. The new context of this textile, which is now hung on a wall rather than spread on a bed, reframes it as an alternative to the still-life tradition. Floral compositions, whether painted or quilted, long have been embraced for their domestic associations and decorative beauty.