Another great late 1800's Pennsylvania quilt purchased from Donna (gb-best on eBay). There really must be something in the water as those PA quilters and their unique and funky color sense continue to amaze me. I don't think anyone else does pink in a such an assertive way with no fear. Okay, yes that is a lot of generalizing but after a few years of studying, it is easy to pick the PA quilts out of the line up. To see a full picture of this quilt, click here.
This Rocky Road to Kansas has a lot of movement due to the use of the double pink Greek key print ground that reads as a stripe. That fabric choice would probably have pushed the quilt over the top had the maker not been so careful in piecing the 'stars'. They are arranged in a very controlled manner/order: red/blue in centers, then chrome yellow, then the same fabrics used in the facing points. The centers are double blue/Lancaster blue and turkey red with chrome yellow details. There are a number of mourning prints and the back is a great neon stripe.
And here it is with a very different example of a Rocky Road to Kansas, made by my great grandmother in the 1930's in central Utah. Click here to see more of the 30's Road
P.s. Thanks for the lovely comments. Glad you like this funky quilt and the photo of the 2 quilts together. I'm thinking of doing a new lecture with pairs of quilts, comparing and contrasting. And it would be a fun dating game - to have people decide which is older/newer.