Butterfly Quilt

Forty-eight applique butterflies made of colorful solid and printed fabrics flutter across a white background flanked by purple vertical strips of cloth. The left-side and bottom border are a geometric green and purple print, creating a visual rhyme with some of the patterns on the butterflies. The right and top border are shades of green. Intricate quilting with dark purple and pale green bindings finishes the piece, echoing the color scheme of the inner borders. Carmel Washington, the maker of this quilt, was part of the local quilting group, Daughters of Dorcas and Sons, which continues to teach and share a love of quilting in local schools, hospitals, and civic centers. This piece visually honors the communities that form around African American religious practices and quilting traditions.