MARTHA ALLIS HOLLINS QUILT BLOCK, Wreath of Roses

     Martha Hollins made the oldest surviving quilt known to have been created in Nebraska. She was born in Bellevue in 1840 to Samuel and Emeline Palmer Allis, missionaries to the Pawnee. Martha signed the quilt "M. A. Hollins 1860," anticipating her 1861 wedding in Omaha to Capt. William George Hollins.
     Wreath of Roses has a red and green color scheme with appliqué designs, small pieces of fabric attached to larger pieces. The quilt was acquired by the Nebraska State Historical Society in 1957.