History of quilts as maps

November 5,2014

Placing maps in a quilt has a long tradition in North America and links Canada with our neighbours to the south.  Before and during the civil war, quilts made by black slaves and safe people along the underground railway contained secret map legends and route information that helped the fleeing slaves  along the " railway" to Canada.  It is also believed that many of the traditional quilts patterns of today originated in Africa where men were the main textile makers. The famous log cabin pattern for example, is thought to indicate to a fleeing slave that the house is a safe house.  The log cabin quilt would be hung over a fence or railing as if to air.  To the white slave keepers and their overseers it was just a blanket, but to the slave it was a marker of freedom.

There is a beautiful picture book called, Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson (and available on Amazon)  which tells a story of how slaves secretly embedded maps and codes. I have used this book many times during Black History month in my classroom. I have also posted a link below to a government of Canada website that shows the various quilt patterns that were thought to guide the black slaves and the famous "conductor", Harriet Tubman.  Because slaves could not read or write the stories of embedded maps and legends and codes are oral traditions.  I can't help but think that it would be interesting to embed some of these coded quilt patterns into my own map quilts.  For example using a very small log cabin to indicate your own home on a map quilt, would show it as a safe house. The Bear's Paw was meant to show a trail or path. Tiny bear paw quilt blocks showing a favourite route on your own map quilt would add another level of legend, beauty and creativity.  Check out the link below to discover what other quilt patterns were thought to mean to fleeing black slaves.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/multiculturalism/black/black_white_codes.aspp

I believe that the art of mapping has importance in our culture.  When we map, or look at maps we begin to understand the relationship between place, the community where we live or work and our own lived experiences.  It gives a stepping stone for discussion and years later a legacy that ultimately tells important things about the maker and what was important to them at that time in history.Turning a map into a quilt adds permanence and artistic licence to create something wonderful, beyond just the waterways and roads.

If you do a search for map quilts on Pinterest or google images you will see see some amazing images of other people's work, including this one which came from google images and shows beautiful use of colour and heavy over quilting to express the argicultural fields.  Ready to start your own?  Inspired yet?




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