Hi all
I
found this quilt top at a yard sale.
According to legend, this quilt block design was one of a number used as part of the Underground Railroad. A support system geared to helping slaves flee the southern States of America for the safety and freedom of the north and Canada. Active from the late 1700s through the American Civil War, the busiest period was around 1830s to 1860s.
Known as Flying Geese, there is more than a little bit of mystery surrounding the use and meaning of this particular quilt block. If it was a design linked to the Underground Railroad, there is a choice of two possible definitions. Some say the message is to follow the migrating geese flying north in the Spring. Others, simply follow the direction of the arrows.
Whether quilts were used in this way is debunked one minute and confirmed the next. It depends on who you talk to. Little written evidence exists to prove or dispel the theory. Not really surprising considering the slaves who made the quilts were either not allowed to read and write or couldn’t.
Would they have written anything down, even if they could? With the potential for the information to fall into the wrong hands? It’s doubtful. The need to keep it a secret would have been more important.
Dating the quilt blocks highlights an interesting similarity. According to Sandra Starley, the writer of Covering Quilts back in 2016, The Flying Geese block first appeared in the late 1700s. With an increase in the frequency of sightings through the 1830s and 40s.
Which is a close match to the busiest period for the Underground Railroad.
Coincidence? Maybe.
I personally believe it’s entirely feasible. What better way to hide something than with some inspirational sewing magic? Concealing the secret out in the open.
Hiding it in plain sight.
Unfortunately, although I have found information on both the quilt blocks and the Underground Railroad, there is no definite link between the two. As far as historians are concerned, it’s all just supposition and a mystery that may never be proven one way or the other.
Which brings me to another mystery. The age of this quilt top. I’ve no idea how old it is. Fabric color and design suggest sometime in the last 15 – 25 years or so, but it’s anyone’s guess.
What I do know, the colors are so bright and vibrant and the stitch work is exemplary.
It
was such a shame to unfold it and find one solitary triangle with a
large tear running from one side to the other.
To be honest, the little rip was probably the reason it was in the sale. This kind of hole is going to need some innovative stitching magic to hide it.
Usually when the tear is in the seam line, it’s just a case of re-stitching the seam. This one is a little trickier. With the slit running across the width of the triangle top, it looks more like the Grand Canyon than a repairable gash.
Fear not dear quilt top! I have a plan!
Armed
with my trusty needle, thread and some iron-on patches from the local
thrift store, I set to work.
First step, trim and neaten the hole by removing the frayed edges at the rim of the canyon.
Next, darn the crevice closed with the needle and thread.
Select
the dinosaur patch by the size best suited to covering the mend.
Unfortunately, the cute blue one wasn’t long enough.
Apply
the patch using the instructions on the packet. For this dinosaur,
that entailed a hot iron and covering the patch with a pressing
cloth. I didn’t have one so I used an old tea-towel. Hold in place
for 30 seconds. Lift the iron and check to see if the patch has
stuck. If it hasn’t repeat the pressing for another 10 seconds.
When
it’s stuck turn the top over and press on the back. This time for
45 seconds.
I felt a bit sorry for the little blue dinosaur. In the interests of symmetry, I attached him to the top right section of the quilt top. Well, I couldn’t leave him in the packet all by himself could I?
Iron-on patches can be problematic. After a few washes they can start to peel off. I tend to sew them on too. What can I say? When it’s a choice between a fixed quilt top and a dinosaur coming unstuck, sewing wins every time.
The
quilt top is repaired and unless I tell people there was a hole, no
one will know. It’s our little secret.
Now all I need to do is find a suitable backing fabric to turn this top into a quilt.
Oh, and maybe some more dinosaurs. To make it look like they were always supposed to be there. That way, it will be easier to hide the fact it’s been mended.
Concealed… and yet still out in the open. Hidden in plain sight.
Bye for now
Olly
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