Mariner's Compass Pattern: Beginnings in Ancient Seas
The Mariner's Compass quilt brings to mind seas of long ago as the captain of a ship struggles to find his way in the deep fog. In truth this pattern reflects back to a seafaring guide that existed even before the compass.
the Mariner's Compass pattern is one of the earliest quilt patterns. The design is a very old one. Before the compass was available early mariners depended on a wind chart called the windrose. Though not always reliable it was the best that could be done before the magnetic compass came into use in the late 13th century. For some time after sailors still depended on the winds, as they didn't completely trust the magnetic compass. During this time the wind rose gradually evolved into the compass rose on nautical maps. The compass rose continued to be a useful decorative feature on charts and maps for the next few centuries. It's likely that quilters were inspired by the varied designs used to depict the compass rose over time. The first known quilt to use the Mariner's Compass design was made in1726 in England. Such quilts might well have been made earlier