#Black History Month, #Quilting

How to Sew a Log Cabin Quilt – History of the Log Cabin Quilt Pattern & How It Was Part of the Underground Railroad Slave Code

Posted by jackikellum on

As part of my celebration of Black History Month, I am researching the Quilt Code that was part of the Underground Railroad’s efforts to help slaves flee bondage.

Master Quilter Eleanor Burns has provided the public with several books and videos that are an invaluable resource for both quilters and historians who are interested in Slavery and the Civil War,

Although some scholars reject the theory, I am convinced that quilts were used as codes to help slaves to travel north to freedom. Most people agree that at least 10 popular quilts were part of the Underground Railroad Code. The quilts were displayed outside various stations along the ways, and the quilt suggested various bits of information that were important to the slaves.

The quilts were displayed one at a time. The Log Cabin Quilt was displayed about midway along the route northward:

The Log Cabin Quilt is created by placing a series of strips around a center block. In my opinion, the hardest part of making a quilt is that of cutting the fabric accurately. To expedite the creation of my first quilt in years, I’ll be using Jelly Roll bundles, which are pre-cut into strips that are 2.5″ wide.

The last time I checked, Walmart, Joann’s, and Hobby Lobby were selling Jelly Rolls. Because I live in a place with no access to any of those places, I ordered my Jelly Rolls from Amazon. The master quilter Eleanor Burns says that the quilter needs to types of fabrics–Dark Fabrics and Lights.

“The Log Cabin block has a Central Square with alternating light and dark fabric logs  [or strips] arranged around the square….”

 

Transcript

“The Log Cabin quilt is probably the most well-known quilt design. It was popularized in the late 19th century.

“The Log Cabin block has a Central Square with alternating light and dark fabric logs [or strips] arranged around the square.

Burns explains how to create a Log Cabin Quilt in the videos linked below, but the best step-by-step tutorial for making this and several other quilts is included in her book: Underground Railroad Quilt Sampler book. Her book is the most carefully illustrated quilt book I have ever seen.

“The Pioneers arranged blocks in various patterns, and then they gave the names of the patterns associated with their farming as Fields and Furrows, That represents the highs and lows of the newly plowed field ….

“Then there’s Barn Raising with the lights and he darks resembling a Barn’s post and beam framework. This one is 

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