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This crazy quilt is made of irregular shapes of colorful silks that are hand-sewn on to foundation blocks. The edges of each of the pieces are embroidered with a profusion of well-wrought colorful stitches. Many of the blocks have embroidered inscriptions and imagery , including floral motifs, an arrow, fish, and a human face. There is even a campaign ribbon for Grover Cleveland. The bands of sapphire blue silk ribbon have lines of yellow feather-stitching .The blue silk crepe backing is folded to the front creating three inch wide borders with mitered corners. The entire quilt is hand-sewn.

The blocks were made by Josephine Peterson, the mother of the donor, from silks and ribbons between 1880 and 1899. The blocks were joined and lined in 1933.