On the opposite end we have kit quilts from mid-20th century which featured the eagle for the primary pattern. What brought designers to choose an eagle design in the 1950s and 1960s when mod and planetary designs were popular? Was it a nostalgic desire? Was it the end of the Korean War? Eagle designs were known to increase during and following a military crisis such as this. Was it a desire on the part of the kit designers to appeal to older women who may still have the desire to make quilts and therefore buy their kits? Were they intended to complement the “Early American” style of furnishing, popular post-WWII?

Recently quilter and pattern designer Madge Ziegler showed me three Eagle kit quilts she owns. She bought them in various stages of production and plans to finish them all; American Glory (Paragon #01147), American Eagle (Paragon #01128), and Golden Eagle (Lee Wards catalogue # 8-9039). Thank you to Madge for letting me photograph her kits. Additional photos and information about the first two are found in Patriotic Quilts Through Time.




American Glory

The American Glory eagle is made with green, red and yellow calico prints. It was featured in the September issue of Good Housekeeping. It was stamped for appliqué and quilting on an eggshell colored background. (Thank you to Shirley McElderry for this information.) Shirley says she has not seen this Paragon kit offered in Lee Ward or Herrschner’s catalogues.
 

Photo courtesy: Suzanne Eggers

The third gold eagle quilt Madge presented is aptly named Golden Eagle. It sold through Lee Wards catalogue as #8-9039. This kit has no cover, but it is a strikingly lighter and brighter shade of gold than the American Eagle kit.

Rosie Werner found the Golden Eagle kit discounted in Lee Ward’s 1962 Christmas catalogue, which led her to suspect it was featured in the Fall/Winter catalogue. Interestingly, the binding was not included in the kit. They sold it separately. The kit appears again in the Spring/Summer 1963 catalogue.

Lee Wards Golden Eagle 1962 kit

Other Eagle Kit Quilts

Shirley McElderry provides photos of two more Eagle Kit quilts: Progress, #1496 and a cross-stitch eagle and basket kit by Bucilla #1615.

The "Progress" Quilt, in color as seen in Herrschners Spring 1976 catalog. Courtesy of Rose Werner

Bucilla #1615 "American Eagle" Top left No. 1615 "American Eagle" (double bed size only). Also advertised in Lee Ward catalog #785  1974 as "Eagle."   Right: found in Herrschener's catalog #98 1975 named "Americana"

Paragon embroidery and quilting kit, “Americana,” 1974, kit no. 01189. Stamped percale, finished size is approx. 97”x81” Found on eBay.

click image to enlarge When Connie Gilbert bought this kit in 1999,at an antique shop, it didn't have the company name or pattern number on it. Seeing the photos in this article, she got the information she had been missing. The thread number she could share and it is: Peri-Lusta Thread Kit No. 01189K. She liked quilt so much, she knew she wanted to make it for herself. She had almost finished when someone offered to buy and now she would like to find another kit to make one for herself. If you have one available, Connie would like to know about it.

“Kit made by Connie Gilbert, 2007”

What other eagle kits exist? I have the impression that there are many others. Want to share your knowledge about eagle kits with others? Send your information and/or photos to me and I’ll post them into this article: quiltdating@jetlink.net

A special thank you to Madge Ziegler, who offered her kits for the photos, to Shirley McElderry, who is always rising to the occasion with information and photos when I ask her about kits quilts; and to Rosie Werner, who is compiling kit quilt information and was just the right source to turn to for information on the unmarked Golden Eagle kit.

Patriotic Quilts Through Time

For more information on kit quilts see The History of 20th Century Kit Quilts by Linda Laird

Back to Eagles on Quilts