There’s a quote from Anne Lamott that I return to often: “We stitch together quilts of meaning to keep us warm and safe, with whatever patches of beauty and utility we have on hand.” For African American quilters across generations, this truth runs deeper than metaphor. Our quilts have always been more than bedding. They’re living archives of history, creativity, resistance, and love.
This February, I had the honor of partnering with Scraplanta for a special Black History Month Quilt Block Party at CreateATL in Atlanta. Together, we explored the rich tapestry of African American quilting traditions, celebrated the legendary figures who shaped this art form, and dove into one of quilting’s most fascinating mysteries: the legend of the Underground Railroad quilt codes.
Whether you joined us in person or you’re discovering this history for the first time, I want to share the story of how African American quilting became one of our most powerful forms of cultural expression.
A Heritage Born from Resilience
African American quilting is more than a craft. When enslaved Africans were forcibly brought to America, they carried with them rich textile traditions from their homelands. These traditions would adapt, survive, and flourish under the most oppressive circumstances imaginable.
Enslaved women created quilts out of necessity, using whatever scraps of fabric they could find. But they also infused their work with aesthetic sensibilities rooted in African design principles: bold colors, asymmetrical patterns, large shapes, and improvisational piecing that emphasized movement and rhythm over rigid geometric precision.
This wasn’t an accident or a limitation. It was artistry with deep roots.
West African Textile Heritage
To understand African American quilting, we have to look across the Atlantic to the textile traditions of West Africa.
Kente Cloth originated with the Ashanti people of Ghana. This strip-woven fabric features symbolic colors and patterns representing proverbs, history, and social status. The technique of creating narrow bands and sewing them together directly influenced what would become known as “strip quilting” in African American communities. This method, in which fabric is pieced into vertical strips rather than blocks, creates a distinctive visual rhythm.
Adinkra Symbols are visual symbols from Ghana that convey concepts, proverbs, and wisdom. They function as a language expressed in patterns. The concept of embedding meaning within visual designs would echo through generations of African American quilting. The famous Adinkra symbol “Sankofa,” depicting a bird looking backward, means “go back and get it.” It serves as a reminder to learn from the past. This philosophy of carrying history forward through art is central to the quilting tradition.
Appliquรฉ Arts among the Fon people of Benin produced elaborate fabric banners telling stories of royalty and history. This technique of sewing fabric pieces onto a background would become a key element in many African American quilts, most famously in the work of Harriet Powers.
When enslaved people arrived in America, they couldn’t bring physical objects, but they carried these aesthetic traditions in their minds and hands. Against all odds, these traditions not only survived but also thrived. They flourished.
Pioneers of the Tradition
Harriet Powers: The Mother of Story Quilts
Harriet Powers (1837-1910) is perhaps the most celebrated African American quilter in history. Born into slavery in Georgia, she created story quilts depicting Biblical scenes and local legends, using appliquรฉ techniques that directly echo West African textile traditions.
Only two of her quilts survive today, and both are considered national treasures. The Bible Quilt (1886) now resides at the Smithsonian, while the Pictorial Quilt (1898) hangs in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Powers’ quilts feature human and animal figures cut from fabric and applied to pieced backgrounds. Each panel tells a complete story: Adam and Eve, Jonah and the Whale, and even local events like a devastating cold snap in 1895 when animals froze in the fields. What’s remarkable is that we know the meanings of her panels because Jennie Smith, who purchased the Bible Quilt, had the wisdom to record Powers’ own explanations of each scene.
Her Bible Quilt was the first quilt by an African American woman to be acquired by the Smithsonian. This recognition confirmed what the quilting community had always known: this was not just craft, but fine art. A testament to the artistic genius that existed within the quilting tradition all along.
The Quilters of Gee’s Bend
In a remote bend of the Alabama River, in a community called Boykin, generations of African American women created quilts unlike anything seen elsewhere in the world.
The Gee’s Bend aesthetic breaks all the traditional “rules” of quilting, and that’s precisely what makes it extraordinary. In these quilts, “wrong” becomes right. Unexpected shifts in pattern create visual jazz. Work clothes are recycled into art. Multiple generations quilt together, passing techniques from grandmother to mother to daughter. And no two quilts are ever alike, even when made from the same pattern.
The geographic isolation of Gee’s Bend allowed unique regional styles to flourish for generations. When the broader art world finally “discovered” these quilts in the late twentieth century, it sparked new appreciation for artistic sophistication that had existed in these communities all along. Today, Gee’s Bend quilts hang in major art museums worldwide, and the community’s designs were commemorated on U.S. postage stamps in 2006.
The Tradition Continues
African American quilting didn’t end with the nineteenth century. It’s a living tradition that continues to evolve through contemporary artists who honor the pioneers while pushing the art form in bold new directions.
Faith Ringgold is best known for “Tar Beach” (1988), a story quilt that combines painting on canvas with quilted fabric borders. Her work hangs in the Guggenheim, the Met, and MoMA. Quilts in the world’s most prestigious art institutions.
Bisa Butler creates stunning fabric portraits using African fabrics and vivid colors. Her subjects celebrate Black life, from everyday people to historical figures like Harriet Tubman. Her piece “I Go To Prepare A Place For You” (2021) depicts Tubman in her iconic determined pose, rendered in Butler’s signature style of vibrant, intricate fabric work.
Michael A. Cummings, a Brooklyn-based artist, creates narrative quilts exploring African American history and culture, from jazz musicians to civil rights leaders.
Gwen Magee created quilts that address political and social issues, including a powerful series on Hurricane Katrina.
These artists show that quilting can be fine art, a political statement, a historical documentation, and a cultural celebration all at once. They’re part of a continuum that stretches from West Africa through the work of Harriet Powers and Gee’s Bend to today.
The Legend of the Underground Railroad Quilt Code
Now we come to one of the most fascinating (and debated) chapters in quilting history: the legend of the Underground Railroad quilt codes.
According to this story, quilts weren’t just bedding during the antebellum period. They were maps. When displayed on a fence or clothesline, specific quilt block patterns would signal to freedom seekers: which direction to travel, when to prepare to leave, and where to find shelter.
This legend became widely known through the 1999 book “Hidden in Plain View” by Jacqueline Tobin and Raymond Dobard, which documented the oral history of South Carolina quilter Ozella McDaniel Williams.
A Note on Historical Evidence
I want to be honest with you about something important: many historians debate whether this code actually existed as described. There’s limited documented evidence from the period itself. No diaries, letters, or newspapers from enslaved people or abolitionists explicitly describe quilts being used this way. The oral tradition was passed down through generations, but written primary sources are scarce.
However, here’s what is documented beyond any doubt:
- The Underground Railroad was absolutely real
- Quilts were an integral part of everyday life in enslaved communities
- Enslaved people used many creative, ingenious methods of communication
- Coded songs like “Follow the Drinking Gourd” were used to transmit messages
Whether the quilt code is a historical fact or a beautiful legend, it honors the incredible ingenuity of people seeking freedom. It reminds us that quilts have always carried meaning beyond their practical use. And for many of us, that’s what matters most. The story celebrates the creativity, courage, and determination of our ancestors.
The Freedom Blocks
For our Quilt Block Party at CreateATL, we focused on four blocks associated with the Underground Railroad legend. Each pattern carries its own story and symbolism.
The Crossroads Block supposedly signaled Cleveland, Ohio, a crucial junction on the Underground Railroad. Freedom seekers reaching Cleveland faced a literal crossroads: continue north to Canada for guaranteed freedom under British law, or try to settle in a northern free state. The pattern itself is a plus sign or cross shape, representing intersecting paths. The four corners might represent the four directions one could choose. It’s constructed from simple rectangles and squares, making it accessible for beginners.
The Log Cabin Block is one of the most beloved patterns in American quilting history. According to the legend, a Log Cabin quilt displayed on a fence meant a safe house was nearby. The center square (called the “hearth” or “chimney”) was said to carry special meaning: a red center might indicate the house was truly safe. The pattern is built by adding strips around a central square, like logs stacked to build a cabin. Traditionally, one half uses light fabrics, and the other half uses dark, representing the interplay of light and shadow, or the warmth of fire against the cold.
The North Star Block is perhaps the most famous symbol associated with the Underground Railroad. “Follow the Drinking Gourd” was the instruction. The Big Dipper constellation points directly to Polaris, the North Star. Unlike other stars that move across the sky, the North Star stays fixed in the northern sky, making it an invaluable guide for anyone traveling north through unfamiliar territory at night. The eight-pointed star pattern represents guidance, hope, and freedom. A reminder that even in the darkest night, there’s a light to follow.
The Flying Geese Block indicated both direction and timing. Real geese migrate north in spring, so the pattern might signal: follow the geese, go north. Travel when the geese fly, as the weather grows warmer and the days grow longer. Geese also follow specific paths over mountains that might be safer than roads. The pattern consists of triangles arranged in a row, looking like a flock of birds in flight. It’s one of the most versatile patterns in quilting, used in borders, sashing, and as complete blocks.
Joining the Tradition
At our Black History Month event, participants chose one of these four blocks and created their own piece, joining a tradition that stretches back centuries. There’s something profound about working with your hands to create something both beautiful and meaningful, using techniques that your ancestors might have used.
As we say at Gee’s Bend: “We don’t call them mistakes. They make the quilt more interesting.”
That’s what quilting is all about: community, tradition, and creating something with your own hands. Whether you’re preserving family memories, honoring cultural heritage, or simply discovering the joy of working with fabric, you become part of a continuum that connects West Africa to the American South to your own home.
Preserve Your Own Story
Every family has stories worth preserving. At Quilts by Big Wes, I specialize in memory quilts that transform cherished clothing and fabrics into heirloom pieces that tell your family’s unique story. Whether it’s a grandfather’s collection of work shirts, a child’s outgrown baby clothes, or fabrics that carry special meaning, I can help you create something that will be treasured for generations.
If you’re interested in having a custom memory quilt made, I’d love to hear from you. Visit my contact page to start a conversation about preserving your family’s memories in fabric.
Because in the end, that’s what quilts have always been about: wrapping ourselves in the stories that matter most.
Wesley Hall is the owner of Quilts by Big Wes, specializing in memory quilts that preserve family stories. He has been quilting professionally for over ten years and regularly teaches and presents on African American quilting traditions. Connect with him at bigwes.com or on social media @quiltsbybigwes.