Yes, the mystery is solved. Now, I need to label my old quilt.

I think the puzzle of the name of the block is solved, and you have a real family treasure!

Margo wrote:
Thanks for you input, Margo!

Just FYI - My quilt is all hand pieced, there is no applique. The backing fabric is the same muslin that's used on the front and the binding was made by bringing the backing to the front.

Look what I just found on the Quilt Index labeled Hearts & Gizzards circa 1876-1900! So, Margo, you are right. I suppose without the extra seam, it's just a variation.

The sketch in Barbara's book shows no seam....it's just like yours! The casual heart shapes are appliquéd in opposite corners of solid squares and four of those blocks are joined to make one large block. The only difference is that in the book it's shown that all of the heart shapes are the same color and yours has the colors alternating.

Margo wrote:
Hi Margo,

I don't have that book, so I wonder if there is a seam that splits the hearts in two? All of the Hearts & Gizzards I've seen have that seam, but my quilt does not.

Nancy, Such a fabulous treasure to have. I'm afraid I don't know the block name, but I was really moved by the quilt and the story behind it. Cheers, BJ

What a wonderful treasure! Nancy, I think this is definitely a Hearts and Gizzards design. It looks just like the sample in Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns on page 197!

Margo wrote:
Finally, last night while waiting out a severe thunderstorm in a guest bedroom in the lower level of my house, I took a photo of my quilt. It was stacked below about six other quilts/quilt tops on the bed, so I was just able to photograph a corner of the quilt without removing all of the ones stacked over it. The pattern is similar to, but not exactly like the Hearts & Gizzards design. My guess is that my great-grandmother wanted to make a quilt with red hearts on it. I plan to soon replicate this quilt, because it's now well loved and worn. Here's the photo:

I admit to being the label nazi, with all the kindness that I can muster!!

With my new longarm, I've been finishing my tops at record speed! (practice!) But I won't show them until they are finished & washed. AND.... I won't bind until the label is on a corner first to get stitched down with the binding. So.... labels are made, binding is put on, (and then I was rescued by my quilting neighbor who has taken home 3 quilts and hand-sewn the binding on the backs!!!), so soon I'll be able to post 4 more quilts.

On baby quilts, I tend to make embroidered labels. Otherwise, I mostly use pigma pens and HEAT SET THEM WITH MY IRON FOR 2 MINUTES!!! Sometimes for a special quilt, I print it out with a nice font in a Word Doc and trace it with my pen and my lightbox.

Margo wrote:
Hi Margo,

I will, but I'll have to photograph it first. For years, I've searched the internet, books and magazines with no luck. I've found several patterns that are very similar (e.g., hearts & gizzards), but none are exactly the same. The pattern even stumped an AQS quilt appraiser. She just thought that it might be a variation of the hearts & gizzards pattern.

By the way, that book by Ruth Brown is excellent!...... (Not related in any way to her)

if in doubt, print off a test piece, say 6"x4" (by altering your paper size settings), leave it to dry for a couple of hours, iron it, then give it a gentle swish in some warm water. If it doesn't run you've probably got pigment inks which don't need a mordant, if it does run, you've got dye inks which do need a mordant ie jetset or bubble jet. I got the info from my friend Ruth Brown of StoneCreek Silk when she was writing a book on the subject and is now available.

Thanks for the info, Rosemary! The inks are changing so fast with technology that it's hard to keep up!