I'm curious as to what the story is since the idea of quilts being used in the Underground Railroad is supposedly a myth. It makes for a beautiful quilt and I can see how the names of some of the patterns could have been used but no one seems to have found facts to back it up.

I use the fabric packet you can buy at Walmart or JoAnn's for printing. Then I use my printer at home. Just make the blocks so they will fit on a page.

Jan, don't you have to treat your fabric first with Bubble Jet Set, or whatever it is called? I thought it had to be treated in order for the ink to last on the fabric. I know that the Epson inks are supposed to be very durable.

"The Monkey Wrench turns the Wagon Wheel toward Canada.
With help form Jesus the carpenter, follow the Bears trail through the woods
Fill your BASKETs with enough Food and supplies to get you to the crossroads. ,dig a log cabin in the ground.
Shoofly told us to dress up in cotton and satin Bow Ties.
Follow the Flying Geese and Birds in the Air., stay on the Drunkards Path ,Take the Sailboat across the great lakes to the North Star above Canada." Found in E Burns book underground RR.

This method of freeing slaves is no myth. there would only be one quilt at a time on the line to " air out" giving silent directions what to do next.

I feel this is a reliable source:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-amer...ound-railroad/

4. Freedom quilts? Simply put, this is one of the oddest myths propagated in all of African-American history. If a slave family had the wherewithal to make a quilt, they used it to protect themselves against the cold, and not to send messages about supposed routes on the Underground Railroad in the North, where they had never been! However, sometimes, on occasion, messages of all sorts were given out at black church gatherings and prayer meetings, but not about the day and time that Harriet Tubman would be coming to town. The risk of betrayal about individual escapes and collective rebellions, as we shall see in a future column, was far too great for escape plans to be widely shared.

Again, thank you to all who appreciate my graphics and instructions here on the board......that's what I am, a teacher. I love sharing this heartwarming art!

Yes, I am well aware there are lots of products on the market these days for printing labels....I sold some of them in my shop years ago, even from one of our teachers who developed one of the very first fabric sheets for printing.

But I also was putting labels on quilts long before any of these products were developed, when all I had was some muslin, a printer, or a few Pigma pens. I learned long ago to use methods that would allow me to create appliques, and half-square triangles, and labels, and even strip cutting, and so on and so on, before products were available to make these processes easier or more efficient.

And, boy, was I glad I knew how when, at a midnight hour in the studio, I found I was out of "whatever" I needed to keep sewing and creating! No stopping and waiting to run to the LQS for me!

So I teach these ways "on purpose" because there are still good reasons to know how to do things "the old fashioned way".....including time, finances, availability.

Blessings to all who quilt *their* way, whatever that way is, and thrill the world with warm hugs from home! :)

Jan in VA

ditto SusanSusan33 on Jan in VA.....thanks Jan!!

I used the 15-block option and put the story block on the back. The URR BOM was done with a class and our teacher printed the blocks for us.

Very interesting. Thanks for posting.