On this day in 1782, General George Washington created the “Badge for Military Merit,” a purple heart-shaped piece of silk, edged with silver with the word “Merit” stitched across the face in silver. Only three known soldiers were awarded the “Purple Heart” during the Revolutionary War.
An unnamed Green County, Pennsylvania quiltmaker created this machine and hand pieced and hand quilted purple and white Hearts and Gizzards quilt in 1925. The family member who inherited the quilt documented it during the West Virginia Heritage Quilt Search in 1992.
View this quilt on The Quilt Index to find out! Read more about its history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view or click the “See full record” link to see a larger image and all the data entered about that quilt.
Source:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/washington-creates-the-purple-heart
Posted by Amy E. Milne
Executive Director, Quilt Alliance
amy.milne@quiltalliance.org