Quilt Block Card Catalog

The Quilt Block Card Catalog consists of roughly 1,000 handmade cards featuring quilt block and applique patterns. Many of the patterns were featured in Nancy Cabot’s daily Chicago Tribune column "Grandmother’s Favorite Quilt Patterns" and "Nancy Cabot’s Needlecraft Corner." The catalog’s provenance and creator is unknown, but it was likely compiled between the 1930s and 50s by someone living in South Western Michigan. It was purchased at an antique store by one of my family members and gifted to me in 2014.

Each card measures approximately 4" x 6" and uses a variety of index cards, cardstock, and construction paper as a base layer. The cards are stored in cardboard catalog boxes and arranged alpha-numerically with each pattern assigned a number within its alphabetic category. The Quilt Block Catalog is an homage to Nancy Cabot's daily column, as well as a testament to the endless inspiration of handcrafts.