Republican and Democratic Quilt Blocks
by Patricia Cummings
photos by James Cummings
"Ararat" and the "Democratic Donkey" Quilt Blocks
"Ararat" block. "Ararat" was the name of a new elephant at the zoo.
The elephant has long been a symbol of the Republican party. The quilt block, seen above, was designed by Eveline Foland for the Kansas City Star. The pieced block, shown here with seemingly uneven borders (not so, in real life), was re-created by Patricia Cummings. The half-square rectangles are no piece of cake. These are all hand-pieced. Eveline made the block in honor of a new elephant at the local zoo, and with no political intentions whatsoever. We love the block!
"Democratic Donkey" - from antique quilt in the collection of Patricia Cummings
This is a block that I cropped from a larger photo of a four unit, "Democratic Donkey" quilt from the early twentieth century. The origin of the design is seated in the era of President Andrew Jackson when Democrats were portrayed as jackasses. Instead of being insulted, Democrats noted that donkeys were indispensable in rural America and were known for their reliability. In this way, they turned "lemons into lemonade," and the donkey image has stayed with us as a symbol of the Democratic party.
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See our various other articles about political quilts and quilt blocks located in the Historical Articles section (accessible via the left side bar.)
Copyright 2008. Patricia and James Cummings. Quilter's Muse Publications, Concord, New Hampshire. All rights reserved. For any further questions, please write to us at: pat@quiltersmuse.com