The Mariner’s Compass Quilt is a popular and quite striking design; closely resembling a mariner’s compass. The Mariner’s Compass quilt originates from one of the earliest quilt designs in America. The patchwork quilt pattern is composed of the thirty-two precise points of the compass, with the stars radiating from the center.
The Mariner’s Compass Quilt is a lovely traditional pattern that is sure to brighten any room! The quilts are hand quilted by one local Amish woman to ensure uniform stitches. Our goal is to preserve the traditional quilted look and to sell quality quilts that will be sure to add a warm cozy spirit to any room. They also make a perfect gift for a special friend!
The Mariner’s Compass quilt pattern has been known and loved among dedicated quilters, only the best of whom could manage the intricacies of stitching the precise points of the compass or star, as it was variously known. While most early quilts were simple, the Mariner’s Compass quilt was complex, and often was reserved for special occasions.
While other patterns may suggest a star pattern, the Mariner’s Compass name specifically refers to quilts in which the star radiates from a circular center. The roots of this pattern are hard to trace. Barbara Brackman writes of the many names used for this pattern, including The Explosion, the Merry Go Round, the Rolling Pinwheel, the Slashed Star–even Chips and Whetstones. Each name suggests what quilters saw as they stitched their quilt tops!
Quilt pattern books began to use the Mariner’s Compass name, widely accepted today, around the 1960s; its first published use was in 1929. Various historians, knowing the pattern’s popularity in the American northeast, have suggested that seafaring folk saw the compass rose on nautical maps and reproduced it on their blankets. The Pennsylvania Germans picked it up, adding brighter colors and patterns.