Edie

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

sistahdebbra

QUOTE=angelanicole;6025070]How disappointing to read that the UGR story is a myth. I made an underground railroad quilt for my grandson and gave him the story to read with it. When I was telling him about it he listened with his mouth open and was very
sad what the black people had to endure. So I thought I made a point how blessed we are to live in a free country.
He took it all in and he treasure his quilt.[/QUOTE]

The Underground Railroad story is NOT a myth. The "myth" discussion is about the "quilt codes".

coopah

Yes, the Underground Railroad did exist. There is a small town near where I grew up in PA that had a "stop" for escaped slaves. There are serious nonfiction books written on the subject if anyone's interested.

lovelyl

I also live in an area that had several safe places for slaves. One of my BFF grew up in a house that had a secret room in the basement used to hide slaves. Even though OH was not a slave state, we were so close to the Ohio River that slave hunters would cross into Ohio to catch runaways, so there are several safe places around where I live, including a small cave about a mile from my house.

#1piecemaker

I believe it existed. And, these ladies have been invited back to our town by the Retired Teachers Organization to give their demonstration again this year to all of the school children. I've also been asked to make one of these quilts to add to our local museum to be displayed along with a copy of the book, The Underground Railroad. I think it is important to pass on this kind of information about the struggles that people had in the past. Just like I enjoy watching Little House on the Prairie and The Waltons. Thoug hout the ages, people had it hard so that we can have the kind of easy lives that we lead in this generation.