For many people, quilts are works of art that hold the hopes and dreams of the women who made them. Quilting in Black America began as early as the 17th century with enslaved women stitching together scraps of fabric- purely for the purpose of keeping themselves and their families warm. What began as a necessity grew into an expression of culture, community and freedom. In the same way that a spiritual like “Wade in the Water” hid coded messages meant to guide slaves to freedom, quilts featured certain patterns that outlined escape routes and mark places of refuge on the Underground Railroad.
Join us for storytelling and a discussion about the famous Gee’s Bend quilts before making a quilt out of scraps and materials.
This workshop is suitable for all ages but will require cutting and gluing so children under the age of 7 must be accompanied by an adult.