Quilt made by Ellen Lucinda Bennett Welch (1842-1918),
Connecticut, 1861.
I found this quilt on the internet, shown years ago at a quilt show at the Senior Center in Ashford, Connecticut. The caption:
"Clam Shell, made by Ellen Bennett Welch, pieced in 1861. Ellen was married in 1862 to Merritt Welch. Her brother died in the Civil War 2 years later. Perhaps this was a patriotic dowry quilt, reflecting the concerns of the times."http://www.micaweb.com/ashfordseniors/quilts1.html
Ellen's inspiration for the border was the Peterson's Magazine pattern for a "Stars and Stripes Bedquilt" published in July, 1861. Her red, white and blue clamshell idea is an unusual take on a traditional pattern.
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Here's a review of the July issue of Peterson's.
"It contains Two Splendid Colored patterns, one of which is a Stars and Stripes Bed-Quilt. Every lady ought to have a number so as to work one of these Quilts."
See more about clamshell designs in this post:
And more about the Peterson's pattern here:
http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/2011/07/30-petersons-stars-stripes.html
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The star borders were quite the thing.