The Prairie Queen quilt block, another nine-patch variation, originated in Illinois, according to Nancy Cabot’s 1933 column in the Chicago Tribune. (To learn about Nancy Cabot and her quilting column, click here to visit the Nancy Cabot sew-along blog written by Candace Moore.) This block is also called True Blue or Monkey Wrench.
The Prairie Queen creates a very striking and formal quilt, as befits its name, particularly when only two colors are used.
A striking red and white prairie Queen quilt:
Introduce an accent color, and the block has a livelier, more dynamic feeling :
For Marsha’s step-by-step instructions for the Prairie Queen block, click here.
We hope you’ll invite the Queen over for a quilting bee–she’ll love it.
Happy Stitching!
More about the Prairie Queen block history at Patterns From History.
Another of our favorite sources is The Quilt Index.
Your Needle & Me 