Whig's Defeat Quilt Block

In the last blog post, I showed you a photo of a "Complex Whig Rose" block. Henry Clay (1777-1852) founded the Whig Party and after he was defeated in his bid for the presidency on the Whig ticket in 1844, a quilt block began to be made to commemorate the occurrence. He lost to Democrat James Polk (1795-1849). Clay was against the annexation of Texas which may have cost him a win. After that loss, the Whig Party was in its waning moments.

"Whig's Defeat" is a complex quilt block that is large and a little bit tricky to make. It is pieced and appliquéd. I chose to make this reproduction quilt block in patriotic colors of red, blue and navy blue on a white background. The rise and fall of the Whig Party has left us with two spectacular quilt blocks, both of them requiring a skilled needle worker to make them. Don't you just love the idea of "voting with a needle"? It was a quiet way to express political views.