CHINESE LANTERN QUILT

In all my years of quilting, I had never seen a quilt pattern like this Chinese Lantern Quilt. This beauty was probably pieced during the 1930’s. It is so unique, and I had the privilege of hand quilting it in early 1996.
The background fabric is a bright orange with cotton candy pink circles appliqued between the lanterns. Diamonds of 1930’s prints make up the lanterns and are appliqued on the orange background too. The first border is a narrow black strip, with the outside border more of the bright orange fabric.

The hand quilting is a circle inside the pink fabric circles. In the orange I quilted a stipple design. Some of the diamonds in each lantern are quilted too. I put 203 yards of hand quilting into this cheerful and unique quilt.
The backing is plain unbleached muslin. I wish that I had taken a photo of the quilt from the back as well, but at the time it just did not get done.
Finished size is queen.
When I quilted this Chinese Lantern Quilt, it was owned by PB of Fiddletown, CA.
Are you wondering why I am showing off a quilt from 1996? Truthfully, it is a gloomy, drizzly day here in central Indiana. I completed my reports for work and took some time to look back through my scrapbooks of quilts and found this cheerful beauty.
It is an unusual pattern – I have to wonder if it was designed by the maker.

Other ideas for Chinese Lantern quilts –
Here is a link to a pieced pattern that is named Chinese Lanterns.
I saw a version of a Chinese Lantern quilt at a quilt show in Terre Haute, IN. It is just one of many beautiful quilt photos from a post earlier this year.
Please note that all photos and written content in this post are mine.
16 thoughts on “CHINESE LANTERN QUILT”
Really cool quilt.
Thank you.
What a cool quilt!! I have never seen one like that. The colors are really cheerful too. Thanx for sharing.
Thank you. I think it is a cool quilt too.
Cool quilt!! Wish I was creative enough to make this without a pattern. Thanks for doing “show & tell” with this quilt.
Yes, this quilt is cool. I have never seen a pattern for this quilt – I think the maker must have made it up, or it was something available then that is not available now. It is just such a cheerful quilt.
Happy quilting.
What a cool quilt and I love the colors. Do you have any idea where a pattern could be gotten for this vintage quilt??
I have not spent a lot of time looking for a pattern for this quilt, but what searching I have done has not yielded a “lantern” like the ones on this quilt. I am wondering if it was a pattern he/she made up. I do not have any info on the maker of the quilt.
I think the quilt is wonderful, and the colors are so cheerful. I would love to see the results of another quilters’ attempt at making this pattern.
I am really pleased to find this web site. Quilting info for beginners – just what I was looking for. Saved to favorites.
So glad you found info that you could use for quilting. Thank you for reading the blog. Happy quilting.
Greetings! Great quilt. Thanks for sharing!
I like this quilt too. Thanks for reading the blog.
Beautiful quilt. Looking close at the design, I think I can make a pattern for myself that at least will be very similar. What fun, I love making reproduction quilts.
If you make a quilt similar to this one, please share so we can all enjoy. Best wishes and happy quilting.
This is really pretty and so cheerful. Thanx for sharing.
It is very cheerful and I really like it. I think the story behind it must be very interesting – wish I would have asked at the time.