Quilt Piecing as a Signal

According to legend, a safe house along the Underground Railroad was often indicated by a quilt hanging from a clothesline or windowsill. These quilts were embedded with a kind of code, so that by reading the shapes and motifs sewn into the design, an enslaved person on the run could know where to head next. In this program, participants will stitch a top piece together remnants of colorful cloth. Basic stitching skills are needed to complete the project. Ages 8 and up.

Host or Publisher Children's Library | Detroit Public Library