The 1970s Dresden Plate

four blocks from a magnificent 1970s Dresden Plate quilted bedcover

I fell in love the moment I saw this colorful 1970s Dresden Plate quilted bedcover from Florida. It is so lively and bright. I want to know the maker.

It is constructed with 72 appliqued blocks, nine rows of eight blocks, backed and edge finished. It is sparsely handquilted and the blocks are pieced together. There is no batting, but it is finished as a quilted bedcover.

The maker changed threads often. There are many colors. Most of the blocks have more than one color thread.

Several of the blocks have bright colors such as lime green and fuchsia pink, and a few of the central circles have stylized floral details.

Dimensions are 74" x 88" so I am thinking it may have been made to fit a twin bed with a bedskirt when used as a bedspread.

Today it is more than a decorative bedcover. It is a work of art and beautifully preserved, exuberant object that speaks to a very specific time and place-- America in the 1970s. Even though it was less than 50 years ago, it seems like an eternity.