Deb Geyer, Quilter

I saw the Muse, dancing in the fountain at the park across the street! Maybe she will come upstairs soon.

I’ve been busy the last week or so moving into my new studio. I don’t have photos of my space yet, but here are some photos of the exterior and building.

The building is in the downtown district and was constructed in 1902 in a Sullivanesque style.

The muse hasn’t visited me here yet. I think she is waiting for the design wall to be installed.

For this quilt top I am quilting dot-to-dot; following the dots printed on the top. It is a nice design that compliments the cross stitch design. Where I can, I am adapting the designs to be done in a continuous line, such as the design below. Some of the areas though cannot be adapted so I am doing a lot of knotting and burying. It will be worth it though.

And as a side note, I will be off line for a week or two but I will be back! See you then.

I started the quilting on an old Cross Stitch top today. I love the variety of tops that come across my table!

Here are some photos of the completed quilting on Brown Bear, Brown Bear. I didn’t want the quilting to distract or compete with Mr. Carle’s illustrations so I stuck to stitch in the ditch with matching threads. I used Quilter’s Dream “Dream Puff” batting so it is a very puffy quilt!

A friend of mine on Facebook posed the question, “Is it accurate that “crazy quilts” were maps for the Underground Railroad?”

That is a very interesting- to me fascinating- question. Unfortunately, there is no absolute answer. In asking the question you open a quite a controversy.

Supporters claim that quilts were hung out on clothes lines, fence lines or window sills. To the casual passerby these were simply bedding airing in the sunshine. To the escaping slaves traveling the Underground Railroad the quilt patterns in the quilts were signals and codes telling the slaves needed information such as, “This is a safe house,” “search party in the area,” “change your clothes,” “food,” and “travel this direction.” These stories and codes were handed down verbally, parents to children, under strict secrecy because their freedom, indeed their very survival, depended on the secrecy.

Opponents claim the story has been fabricated by a few entrepreneurs looking to cash in on the explosion of interest in African-American quilts in the 1980’s. Many of the quilt patterns claimed to be used in the Underground Railroad Quilts have not been documented as being used before the 20^th Century. There is no written evidence from the Civil War era to support the claims that quilts were used in this way. And quilt codes are not mentioned in the 19th century slave narratives or 1930s oral testimonies of former slaves.

I doubt that we will ever have an absolute answer. Myself, I am riding the fence. I think that it may have been done but not on a widespread basis. If it had been done on a widespread basis it seems to me that someone somewhere would have written about it. Women throughout the years have always written extensively about their quilts in their diaries. Maybe some day just such a diary will be found to support the claims. I would like that very much as it does make for a very romantic story.

Here are links to sites from which I gleaned information and do provide additional information if you are interested:

http://www.osblackhistory.com/quilts.php

http://www.ugrrquilt.hartcottagequilts.com/#intro

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/02/0205_040205_slavequilts.html

http://www.quilthistory.com/ugrrquilts.htm

http://www.womenfolk.com/quilting_history/abolitionist.htmv

http://www.barbarabrackman.com/Sermon.pdf