Flowering Snowball

Debby had a question recently about the pattern in this mid-20th century quilt.

I have several photos of quilts that look to be 1950-1980

Here's the block

The little pattern magazine Aunt Kate's Quilting Bee published

it as Flowering Snowball in 1965 and that may be the source. But

it was a little magazine. I get the feeling the design may have been

published earlier.

The curve is pretty easy to do and the effects are terrific.

I do have a photo of  one quilt older than the 1950s

All these are from online auctions.

I'd guess this one is Turkey red with a couple of

browns from the 1880s or '90s.

And here's an even older variation.

That red print could be 1850-1880

But it's not exactly the same block. This version with no center square

has no BlockBase number.