The Delectable Mountains pattern took its name from a passage in John Bunyan’s great allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress:“They went then til they came to the delectable mountains…behold the gardens and orchards, the vineyards and fountains of water…”

During pioneer times in the United States, this pattern symbolized the new land’s promise of opportunity, peace and prosperity. The pattern was used to exhibit the love of the land and appreciation of the vast and beautiful new country.

The quilter has shown her ingenuity by slightly altering the traditional Delectable Mountains pattern. The pattern originally consisted of a single central design that was repeated until the quilt was complete. In this instance, the quilter has substituted nine equal pattern blocks placed over the quilt for one central design.