A note to my readers…

First, thank you for embarking on this journey with me about quilting and its various
meanings to others.
Within my family, a rich tradition of quilt-making has been passed through generations,
maybe skipping a few in between. My interest in this topic was sparked after completing my
very first quilt-- which will be recounted in later pages-- and I wanted to show that passion and
love for the craft to others, as well as what quilting can mean for many different people.
The following reading is divided into three sections: a brief history of quilting, my own
journey with quilting, and another journey with quilting and using the craft for a better cause
that has just begun. Please think of each section as individual vignettes or short stories about
moments or topics throughout time. Due to the nature of a multi-genre project, these
vignettes include definitions, short narratives, text messages, how-to-guide, radio transcription,
and much more, all attempting to tell a story along the way-- confusion is warranted especially
at the beginning of this journey.
My notes for my sources are at the very end of this document and contain information
about where certain information was pulled from for different sections.
I hope you enjoy reading my endeavor into the world and history of quilting!

Thank you,
Sarah Marie Phillips
Part One:
A Brief History
Of Quilts
quilt noun
/KWIlt/
1. A bed covering consisting of two joined pieces of fabric enclosing a layer of
filling.
2. A piece of fabric resembling patchwork.
3. A gift, a priceless heirloom passed down throughout the generations.
4. Irreplaceable, a story on fabric, each stitch a different chapter.

quilt verb
/KWIlt/
1. To fasten together (two pieces of fabric) by stitches or lines of stitching so as to
hold in position a layer of wool, cotton, or other soft material placed between
them.
2. To sew up (something) between two pieces of cloth, for safekeeping
3. To create art with needle and thread, to spend countless hours cutting fabric,
slowly piecing together a pattern, pressing seams (to the side and never open),
ironing… lots and lots of ironing, pins everywhere, and hand stitching to bind
everything together.

quilter noun
/KWIltər/
1. A person who quilts; a quiltmaker or quilt manufacturer
2. A grandma, aunt, mother, sister, or daughter, especially those skilled with a
needle and thread
3. A quiltmaker, artist, creator, storyteller; one to cherish and praise.
 Creating Triangles and Quilt Codes
During the nineteenth century, patchwork quilts and block-style quilts started to emerge as
popular styles of quilting for many quiltmakers who couldn’t afford to make applique
quilts. Patchwork and block-style quilts utilize many basic shapes, with the most popular
shapes being squares, triangles, and thirdly rectangles, to create different designs and
patterns for quilt tops.

The second most common shape used within traditional patchwork or block-style quilting
is a triangle. In order to get consistent results, many quilters turn to cutting and using
half-square or quarter-square triangles in their craft.

Half-square triangles (HST) are made by dividing a square of fabric on the diagonal and
creating two triangles.

HST utilizes two 45° angles which make piecing together, or sewing together, the triangles
easy without the headache of math-- hence the popularity amongst many quilters.

Here are vital steps to cutting half-square triangles and creating many fun and classic
quilting patterns.
1. Determine the size you will want the legs of your finished triangles to be. Unlike
everything else in quilting, a seam allowance of ⅞” must be
added to your intended HST. After adding on the seam
allowance, cut squares the size of the leg+ ⅞”.
 2. Cut each square in half diagonally from corner to corner. For multiple triangles at
once, stack several squares on top of each other and then cut the triangles.
a. If wanting to make quarter-squares do NOT just cut the triangles again for there is
a different seam allowance needed when making quarter-square triangles.

Quarter-square triangles should be used whenever the long side of a triangle is on the
exterior edge of a block, block unit, or the outside edge of a quilt.

1. Determine the size of your desired quarter-square triangle. Take the length of the
hypotenuse of the triangle and add 1 ¼”.
a. The hypotenuse of a quarter-square triangle is
one edge of a square, so if you cut a 3 ¼” square, the
hypotenuse of your quarter-square triangles will be 2”.
2. Cut each square once diagonally from corner to
corner. Then cut the square again diagonally from the other
uncut corners.

Many patterns of pieced quilt tops that were popular throughout history in the
United States utilized either half-square triangles or quarter-square triangles. As with many
things, certain patterns have specific meanings or messages behind them. From the late
eighteenth century till the middle of the nineteenth century an exodus of slaves from the
south into northern territories which became known as the Underground Railroad
allegedly used certain quilt top patterns to help send messages to the many individuals
flocking towards freedom.
Flying Geese
Created using larger quarter-square triangles and smaller
half-square triangles, a flying geese quilt square was used to
signal to people who were escaping slavery to follow the
migrating geese to the northern states or Canada.

Bow Ties
With contrasting fabrics and many quarter-square triangles,
this coded quilt square told those escaping slavery to appear of
a higher status typically by changing their clothes-- someone
would come to bring them a change of clothes-- so that no
suspicions were aroused by the nearby public.

Bear’s Paw
Created with half-square triangles, squares both big and
small and rectangles, seeing a bear’s paw quilt square would
signal to an individual to follow a mountain path and find
and follow animal paths to find food and water.

Log Cabin
Sewing together a single square and various lengths of
rectangles, a log cabin design would indict that an individual
was safe to talk to, but also to seek shelter immediately.
 Monkey Wrench
With half-square triangles, rectangles, and squares, this pattern
would signal to those escaping slavery to collect all their tools--
both physical and mental-- for the journey ahead.

North Star
With half-square triangles and squares a north star quilt block
was a message to the travelers of the Underground Railroad to
look to the sky and use the north star, Polaris, as a guide to the
northern states and freedom.

quilt noun
/KWIlt/
1. A bed covering consisting of two joined pieces of fabric enclosing a layer of
filling.
2. A piece of fabric resembling patchwork.
3. A gift, a priceless heirloom passed down throughout the generations.
4. Irreplaceable, a story on fabric, each stitch a different chapter.
5. A message of hope, love, and a promise of freedom; an expression of
history
Part Two:
Quilts & Me
 My Family’s Women & Their Quilts
Oftentimes, when the topic of quilting comes up in a family conversation, my
Grandmother Nita comes up. According to my mother, Grandma Nita could knit a scarf
within an hour and make a sweater within a day. My sister laments about her Spanish rice
recipe that she served every day, and everyone else who knew her talks about her crazy
animal stories and vivacious personality. An avid smoker and an Irish spitfire, my
grandmother was known throughout her family and friends as an avid crafter-- especially of
quilts. Grandma Nita loved gifting quilts for special occasions and I remember always seeing
piles of quilting patterns and new quilting books throughout her apartment whenever we
would come to visit her. She always had a work-in-progress project when we came over, and
according to my parents, she would be finished with any project by the week’s end.
When I was very young, she passed away due to lung cancer that was discovered too
late for any treatment to be effective. After her passing, my mom cherished the overflowing
bin of cookbooks she had freshly inherited, and the many quilts that Nita had given to her,
my father, and my sister during her time on earth.
Throughout my childhood, I remember any time I was cold during winter nights I
would wander out into the hallway and pull one of her quilts out from the linen closet and
spread it out on the many blankets already atop my bed. Her quilts are gateways to the
eighties and nineties with subdued paisley prints and a variety of Sunbonnet Sue patterns.
On the back of her quilts, she often used a patterned polar fleece fabric-- as if she knew her
granddaughters would always be searching for extra warmth during the cold northern
Minnesotan nights. As the years went on, some of Grandma Nita’s quilts needed to be
retired due to fraying and holes poking through the seams after years of machine washing.
However, something that will never fade is the love and passion of quilting she passed along
to those around her and the love she had for everyone.

As I got older, I was jealous of the fact that my sister had a Grandma Nita quilt, but I
did not. When I was born, my grandmother was getting along in years and I was a surprise
that my parents didn’t account for-- so the short notice my parents got about another baby
ready for adoption was not enough time for a baby shower or time to make a quilt. When I
was old enough (in reality I was around six or seven years old), I voiced this jealousy to my
mother. She was taken aback before realizing that I was right-- Grandma Nita never got
around to making me my own quilt.
Although my mother never found a spark of joy in spending hours of time hunched
over a sewing machine or cutting fabrics she had many friends and extended family
members who did. Perhaps she voiced this concern to a close family friend, Julie, maybe
Julie knew how much receiving a quilt meant, or maybe my mom was tired of hearing me
beg for a quilt because I remember soon after being brought to a fabric store. Inside Julie
brought me through each aisle asking me which patterns I liked the best, pointing and
pulling out bolts of fabric with teddy bears, polka dots, chevron stripes, and rainbows
galore. Eventually, we settled on a couple of bolts with an overarching palette of soft yellow
and pink. As we left the fabric store I remember feeling overjoyed and giddy knowing that
soon I would have a quilt that was mine and mine alone.
I remember a few weeks later on one of the many weekdays spent over at Julie’s
house (for my mom and Julie's friendship doubled as a daycare system both ways) seeing the
pieced-together quilt top for the very first time. I immediately wrapped myself up inside
despite the many pins still within the top and tried getting cozy. After being told I needed
to be cautious of all the pins, I then laid the quilt top out flat and admired the
work-in-progress as if I were a cartographer looking at a newly made hand-drawn map. I
was saddened to learn that unfortunately, I would not be taking home my quilt that day for
Julie still had to baste, quilt, and bind the work together before it would be finished.
Reluctantly I let go of the quilt top so Julie could continue on working it.
After going home that day, during the evening I asked a question that would soon
become a short-lived ritual within the household, “Mom, is Julie done with the quilt yet?”
For many weeks the answer did not change. “Not yet,” my mom would reply, trying
not to sound irritated.
Although to some this might have seemed like a child being very greedy and
impatient with the laborious craft of quilting, both Julie and my mother realized that I was
overcome with enthusiasm and fervor for what would become my favorite and most
treasured item for any and all cozy occasions.
When Julie had finished, she brought the quilt over to my parents house, and upon
seeing the finished quilt, the awe I felt when seeing the quilt top for the first time tripled.
The quilt was complemented by the beautiful stitching quilting the different layers together
and the complementing binding along the edges. I remember rubbing my hand over the
different pieces feeling the contrast in the fabric textures before bundling up with the
patches of yellow and pink joy. I thanked Julie up, down, and all around. My mom thanked
Julie for the quilt through teary eyes, knowing that she was giving me a gift that her mother
never got around to. What I didn’t know was that day Julie planted a seed of desire within
me to carry on the craft of creating quilts and the joy of giving them to others that wouldn’t
come to fruition until many years later.

In the order of family members, my older sister and I are the youngest of all of the
grandchildren by a lot-- when I was born my cousins were starting to graduate college. This
significant age gap typically meant that to our aunts and uncles my sister and I were
pseudo-grandchildren, and we would be taken on adventures or invited to activities that
would help my aunts and uncles avoid their growing loneliness from their empty nests.
Out of all of our family members, our Auntie Jenn and Uncle Jim lived the closest so
often times we would go over there for a fun night of crafting or maybe go over for a hiking
adventure with their dogs. One week when I was close to eleven years old, my aunt called
both my sister and me and asked how we would feel about sewing pillowcases together with
her. Naturally, we both obliged and set a date later that week to adventure to a quilting
store together to pick out fabrics. After close to an hour of choosing fabrics of bright
yellows, granny smith greens, and patterns of varying ocean themes, my sister and I brought
our bolts of fabric to the cutting counter to get the correct measurements of fabric and
check out. As we walked out of the store our aunt collected our small bags of fabric and
promised to hold on to them until the time came for us to sew them together.
After another week passed, we were once again dropped off at our aunt and uncle’s
house, but this time instead of an adventure to stores outside, we spent the day at my aunt’s
dining room table cutting, piecing, pinning, and sewing our pillowcases together. While I
was busy trying to accurately cut the different pieces of fabric, my sister was receiving
instruction from my aunt about how to gently sew together the first two pieces of fabric
together. My sister, who was never good with following directions, put her foot down fully
on the peddle leading the sewing machine’s needle to speed through the fabric almost biting
down on her fingers. In retrospect, it was probably at this moment that my aunt realized
how much she had bitten off to chew embarking on this project with us. After the initial
setback and solution of seam ripping and a more gentle attempt at sewing from my sister,
my aunt welcomed me behind the sewing machine. I proved to be much more timid, as I
wanted to avoid the tedious task of seam ripping and repinning I had to watch my sister
endure. I barely let one toe press down on the peddle of the sewing machine before the
needle began to move in slow motion. As if the needle was moving through molasses, the
first stitch was made and with encouragement from my aunt, I eventually finished sewing
the initial seams of the pillowcase. The afternoon that then followed was filled with my
sister and I alternating between sitting at the sewing machine and carefully creating seams
or intently watching the other and trying to learn from each other.
When it was time for my dad to come pick us up, we were just finishing the last
couple of seams. Once we pulled our pillowcases out of the sewing machine for the last
time, we were both filled with pride about our new creation. We thanked our aunt up and
down before having to pull on our winter boots and stumble back out to the car. In the
following weeks, I would show off my new pillowcase to my friends when they came over
and boast about how I made it myself.
Through frustration, patience, and careful instruction, my aunt was happy to be able
to start a foundation of love for creation through sewing. My aunt created many quilts with
her mother and grandmother throughout her life and wanted to pass down her love and
knowledge to us since we were too young when our grandma Nita passed away. Although I
wouldn’t get behind a sewing machine regularly until much later in my life, whenever I sit
down to sew, I think of my aunt and the love and gift of sewing she passed down to me.

quilt noun
/KWIlt/
1. A bed covering consisting of two joined pieces of fabric enclosing a layer of
filling.
2. A piece of fabric resembling patchwork.
3. A gift, a priceless heirloom passed down throughout the generations.
4. Irreplaceable, a story on fabric, each stitch a different chapter.
5. A message of hope, love, and a promise of freedom; an expression of history
6. A seed of inspiration and passion to be sown later for further generations
of creation
quilt verb
/KWIlt/
1. To fasten together (two pieces of fabric) by stitches or lines of stitching so as to
hold in position a layer of wool, cotton, or other soft material placed between
them.
2. To sew up (something) between two pieces of cloth, for safekeeping
3. To create art with needle and thread, to spend countless hours cutting fabric,
slowly piecing together a pattern, pressing seams (to the side and never open),
ironing… lots and lots of ironing, pins everywhere, and hand stitching to bind
everything together.
4. A way to show one’s love for another and mark a special occasion in one’s
life, and pass down a tradition to those you love