This pieced quilt was made by the daughters of John Mosby Sheppard. Sheppard, who purchased Scotchtown around 1801 and lived there for the rest of his life, had five daughters. This quilt was probably made by one of the three youngest, Anne, Elizabeth, and Nancy, all of whom were teenagers while the family lived at Scotchtown.

The quilt is a piece of fancy needlework that would have demonstrated the wealth of the family and the skill of the woman who made it. Its small patches and numerous seams required more fabric and more labor than a quilt top made up of larger squares or a single piece of material.

The small patches that make up the majority of the quilt are formed over individual paper hexagons cut precisely to fit back together. The hexagons, with their fabric covering, were then sewn together to form the quilt top. The quilt is edged with pieces of early nineteenth century block printed chintz that post-date the rest of fabric in the piece.