Lessons From An Old Wagon Wheel Quilt

Antique QuiltsLessons from an Old Quilt
Written By Kris ONeill
Thumbnail for an Antique Wagon Wheel quilt.

To watch the video, click HERE or on the image above.

About This Old Quilt

Details-At-A-Glance:

  • Size: 80” x 86”

  • Age: 1950s (I think)

  • Acquired: I purchased this at an auction in July 2025 for $100.

  • Quilt History: I asked around at the auction, but no one knew who made it, including the auctioneer.

  • Number of Pieces: 1,887 pieces in the top of this quilt, not counting the binding and backing!

  • Construction Technique: Hand-pieced, possibly with the EPP technique, although there isn’t any evidence of papers in this quilt.

  • Borders: None

  • Quilting: Quilted completely by hand in a white thread shadowing the pieces. You can really see the quilting on the back of this quilt.

  • Fabric: Wonderful 1930s,1940s, and 1950s prints; all is cotton with a mix of prints and solids.

  • Batting: Looks like a thin flannel sheet.

  • Binding: The bright red solid binding was attached by machine using red thread. Two of the sides follow the hexagon peaks while two sides are straight.

  • Backing: Green solid fabric that is pieced in a few places.

  • Condition: Very good! There aren’t any stains at all. There are a few holes from wear, but they are minor.

Full image of a bright wagon wheel antique quilt

Quilt Blocks

This quilt is so cool, isn’t it? And the blocks really are the star of the quilt. There are 138 full wagon wheel blocks and 12 partial wagon wheels on the edges. Each block is a mix of a solid color fabric and usually a mix of contrasting scrap fabrics. The hexagons are 4” along one edge. It gives a kaleidoscope of colors when they all come together! I also love that there is a beautiful balance of the colors in this quilt. You can tell a lot of thought went into the layout.

Fun motifs that are in this old quilt

Fabrics

There are so many cool fabrics woven into this quilt that it could almost be called an I Spy quilt. We see motifs such as a trumpet, a kangaroo, pots and pans, dogs, a fireman, apples, sailboats, and more! I could spend hours just looking at these amazing prints.

The zig zag binding is flipped onto the top of the quilt so you can see the backing, binding, and the front.

Binding

Ohhhhh, this may be my favorite feature of this quilt! It has a zig-zag binding on two of the four sides, and I love it! While the entire quilt is made by hand, the binding was added by machine, making me think it was possibly replaced at one point, but who knows? As always, I wish this quilt could talk! The binding is a bright red solid. It frames this quilt beautifully!

Close up of the quilt to show the quilting

Quilting

The quilting is done by hand in white thread. Although the quilting isn’t fancy, the white thread really packs a punch, especially when looking at the back of this quilt. The quilting lines follow the spokes and the center circle. You can see a few of the knots on the front and back.

backing of the quilt that shows the quilting really well.

Backing

The perfect backing for this incredible quilt! This bright green is a nice surprise on the back. It matches the front perfectly with all the vibrant colors. I love that you can see the quilt design on the back.

Inside of the quilt showing the batting

Batting

Although there isn’t much damage at all in this quilt, there are a few places around the binding where I could peek inside and see the batting, which appears to be a thin cotton sheet. It is a super thin quilt, so this makes sense.

Shows the continue of the quilt with some holes and wear.

Condition

This old quilt is in great condition considering its age. The colors are still vibrant and there aren’t any holes in the quilt that I can see. There are a few openings around the binding, but they are minor and will be easy to repair.

Lessons We Can Learn

What can we, as modern makers, learn from this old quilt?

  1. Non-Traditional Binding: I just love how the binding is done on this one! The zig-zag binding done in a bright red solid fabric is a wonderful surprise! Although it is the only part of this quilt done by machine and I believe it was added later, it still gives a wonderful frame for this amazing quilt.

  2. Mix of Solids & Prints: Sometimes we feel like we can’t mix solids and prints, but this is a great example of how we can and how it produces stunning results. I love how the maker lets the solids be the star and how the prints are supporting fabrics in this beautiful quilt.

  3. Fun Motifs in the Scrap Fabrics: Along with the wonderful colors, there are surprises in the scrappy fabrics, too! Each time I look at it, I see something new. Wouldn’t that be fun to do in our own scrappy quilts? We could “hide” little motifs throughout. I just love that idea!

  4. Showing Quilting Stitches: You can really see those quilting stitches! It was a bold choice to use white thread. I am so happy the maker made that choice! I love the look on the back of this quilt with the white thread outlining (in a way) the quilt units.

  5. Bright Backing: This green backing—oh, I love it! Yet another bold choice by the maker! I love how it goes with the front so well and allows those quilting stitches to shine!

Thank you so much for reading about this beautiful old quilt.

Kris

Kris ONeill
Next

Cat Quilt Block