Free Union & Confederate Soldier's Quilt Patterns

These quilts could have been made for a soldier or in memory of a soldier. In finer fabrics they could even have been made for a fair.

The simple nine patch was common for utilitarian quilts and in these quilts I used a basic unequal nine patch that is seen on many 19th century quilts.

Stars were among the earliest pieced patterns in America so they had been used on patriotic quilts long before the Civil War. In this quilt I used The Variable Star to symbolize the patriotism of Union quilters. Along with the red and blue bars this quilt represents the American flag. I was inspired to use this configuration for a quilt after viewing a Civil War quilt in the New England Quilt Museum.

Hurrah! Hurrah! For Southern rights hurrah!
Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star.
   by Harry Macarthy

When Mississippi seceded from the Union a blue flag with a single white star was raised over the capital building. One onlooker was so inspired he wrote the song, "The Bonnie Blue Flag", that became one of the most popular songs of the Confederacy. Although this flag never became the official flag it is one that represents the high spirits of Secession. I designed the confederate quilt with this flag in mind.

Shortly after the Civil War began the South adopted the Stars and Bars Flag. This flag had three horizontal bars, two red and one white. The upper left had a blue square with a circle of stars, one for each state that seceded. In the quilt pattern I used red and white bars to represent this flag.

The cutting instructions for the nine patch block.

The cutting instructions for the bars.

The PDF for the Confederate appliqued star template is here. Be sure to set the page scaling at "none" before you print so the star will come out the right size.

The cutting and sewing instructions for the Variable Star block.

© 2007 Judy Anne Breneman