Originally Posted by
Sharbank
My grandmother born in 1881 told about quilts made by slaves that told stories. That was way before 1990 myths. When my grandmother sewed quilts she would emphasize that every quilt should tell a story that would be understood by the person who would use the quilt. My grandmother's aunt had a hotel along the Ohio River in the 1800s and gave refuge to persons traveling north to escape slavery. I never heard her say that quilts were used as markers of any kind but it does make sense. Desperate people find ways to reach their destinations. My older sister remembers the quilt stories my grandmother told also. The difference is that my sister didn't want to hear about any of it. She thought grandma was a little nutty. Now she thinks grandma was pretty smart. So it is like any other subject, some will believe and others will not. Of course, in the future it may not be so mythical.
God Bless our Grandmothers! I love to make samplers and each one I make, whether it is 15 blocks or 35 blocks has a story behind it. Each block is specifically chosen for the person I am making the quilt for and how it pertains to them. Then, as I have said before, I write a book about the blocks and why I had chosen a particular block for that particular person and how it relates to him/her/them. I then give the book (so to speak) with the quilt so they can understand the meaning of the block and how I relate it to them.
Now it is called provenance. I just want to prove that the block was here in the 2000's and before and my take on it for a quilt. Maybe that is the only way we can keep it going and keep myth out and keep it a fact. I don't have a whole lot of years left on this earth, but I want my grandchildren and great grandchildren to know where the block came from and why I am using it and how I pertain it to them.
I remember several years ago when all of us women in the neighborhood were stay at home mom's or grandmas. We would hang a dishtowel out on our clothes line and before you knew it, we had a coffee party. Just check on Monday who has the dishtowel hanging on the line. Proven fact? No! Myth? No! I was there! I would hang the dishtowel on my line, heat up the coffee and the "girls" would bring over coffee cake or cookies and that was our break for the WEEK!!!!
So I believe in the stories of the quilts on the fence or on the line. I love the story best about Jennifer Chiaverini's book and the underground railroad where this uncle is designing a quilt and the niece pieces a star point in the quilt the correct size and the uncle said to keep the point the way he had designed it because that was pointing the way the slaves should go. I believe that with all my heart. It was a story, but Jennifer Chiaverini researches her books that contain historical fiction. That's all. I have my own quilt to work on now. We have a beautiful sunshiny day for the first time since, probably last July and I am going to take advantage of every minute outside. Have a glorious day. Specially all of us Minnesotans. We took a real beating this year. Edie