It has been several years since I was a partner in a quilt shop that has closed. One of our main vendors was Checker Distributors. At their site they list Atkinson Designs as their #1 Vendor, and Yellow Brick Road is still on their top 20 list...it has been for years...and years...I would say it has to be the best selling pattern ever...but would also agree that most popular pattern would be log cabin.

this would be my guess too

Don't know what years you are considering "olden days" but some of the most popular shapes were the hexagon used it Grandmother's flower garden and some other designs, Rectangles used in log cabins, Fans used in dresden plate and other similar patterns, Drunkards path is from "the olden days", Half square triangles have long been a mainstay of quilting, And of course, the no shapes of crazy quilt designs that were quite popular eons ago.

Referring to when the quilts were utility and made out of wool squares

I would say Log Cabin or Double Wedding Ring.

I agree, Yellow Brick Road.

So many quilts were made out of whatever was available, whatever shape the scrap was, thus so many crazy quilts.

I like the data you put behind your answer -


QIAD Log Cabin is currently in it's 5th edition and began selling in 1978. Currently QIAD sales are approximately 6500 books per week. If we assume those numbers have been steady since 1978 that would mean QIAD has sold 10,140,000. If we assume that the Log Cabin is the best selling of those books at 10% then that means Miss Eleanor Burns has sold over 1 Million Copies of that book alone.


I'm going to go with QIAD Log Cabin as the BEST SELLING Pattern of all time.

And for those who think that you don't need a pattern for Log Cabin - those of us who grew up with non-sewing grandmothers and mothers had to start somewhere.

The funny is that my DS #2 is going to his second year of Quilt Camp at our LQS and what are they teaching from -- QIAD Log Cabin! Like Mother, like Son!

I too would have to say Log Cabin.