Underground Railroad Block 14

Underground Railroad

Block 14

Sail Boat

The Sail Boat block is a symbol of safe passage to freedom.  It also represents the importance of free black sailors to the Underground Railroad.

Beginning in the 1600's, Africans were imported to New England to work s and customs of faboard whalers, fishing boats and trading vessels. The knowledge gained by black sailors of northern geography and the language and customs of free ports made them invaluable members of the Underground Railroad.

Black sailors and ship owners helped many slaves escape directly, hiding them on board their ships and spiriting them away, and indirectly, by passing on directions and sometimes messages from family members awaiting them in freedom.  Sailors were often able to exchange information with enslaved blacks at port cities, forming an important link in the grapevine between slaves in the South and their free counterparts in the North.  

Sail Boat

This is my Sail Boat Block.

You will need 4 fabrics:  Sky, sail, boat and water.  I laid mine out in the order I am going to use them.

Out of your sky fabric cut:

     2 - 4" squares

     2 - 3 1/2" X 6 1/2" pieces

     3 - 3 1/2" squares

Out of the Sail fabric cut:

      2 - 4" squares

Out of the Boat fabric cut:

     1 - 3 1/2" X 12 1/2" piece

Out of the Water fabric cut:

     1 - 3 1/2" X 12 1/2" piece

Take the 4" squares of the sky and the sail fabric, put right sides together.

Draw a line diagonally through each square. Now sew a 1/4" on either side of the line.

Cut on the diagonal line, as shown above. Press seams towards dark fabric.

 You will need 3 of these squares.

Using 3 of the half square trailer squares and 1 of the 3 1/2" squares of the sky fabric layout as above.  Stitch your square together.

This is your sail square.

Using the 2 - 3 1/2" X 12 1/2" pice of the sky fabric, sew on either side of your sail square.

Press seam away from sail square.

Using the remaining 2 - 3 1/2" sky squares and the 3 1/2" X 12 1/2" boat fabric, place the squares on either end of the boat fabric.

Draw lines diagonally through the squares to make your boat. As shown above.

Stitch on drawn lines and then trim to 1/4" seam. Press seam toward boat fabric.

Layout your sections of your block as above, and sew sections together.

You now have your Sail Boat Block.

Enjoy, have fun.  I'll have another block next week.

Underground Railroad

Underground Railroad

Drunkard's Path

The Drunkard's Path Quilt is the ninth pattern of the secret code.

Slaves were to move in a staggering fashion to allude any following slave hunters. They were to even double back occasionally on their tracks to confuse slave catchers.

The Underground Railroad got its name from such a pursuit. A Kentucky slave known as Tice was escaping to freedom. He made it to the shore of the Ohio River, near the home of John Rankin's safe house. The slave holder was tracking right behind him. There was no boat tied up for Tice's escape, so he jumped right into the icy water.

Fortunately, Tice heard a whippoorwill calling him to safety. Tice looked up and saw a yellow light, the lantern in the window of John Rankin's home.

Tice vanished right before the slave holder's eyes. When the slave holder went home emptyhanded, he told everyone the Underground Railroad came by and picked him up.

The Drunkard's Path is two color block.

This is my block.

You will need two fabrics, one for the background and one for the path.

Cut 2 - 71/4" and 2 - 51/2" squares from each fabric.  You will need 41/2" circle template.

Using the circle template and the 51/2" squares, cut 2 circles from all 4 - 51/2" squares.

Lay your circles on the 71/4" squares as shown above.  Center the circles and pin, then stitch around each circle with a zig-zag stitch. I did not back mine, but you can use heat n bond light or appliqué however you please.

After you appliqué circles then cut your squares in 4 equal parts. As above.

Lay out your small squares to make one of the squares you need. As above.

Sew squares together, I pressed my seams toward the background fabric.  Now make 3 more squares just like this one.

Now you have your 4 squares you need to make your block.

Turn your squares to layout the block you need. As above. Sew squares together and press your seams.

Now you have your Drunkard's Path block.

Have fun and I'll have the next block next week.

Hope everyone as a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

Carol

Underground Railroad

Sorry I haven't posted but lost my book in the move. I always keep it in my fabric bin of the fabrics am using but it's not there. I have ordered a new one, and I'm sure the other one will show up after I get the new one in. Should have pot up this Friday.  

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families.

Carol

Underground Railroad Block 12

Underground Railroad Block 12

Birds in the Air

During the Underground Railroad in the 1840's to 1850's, a clever quilter could indicate a direction for fugitives to travel through the choice of fabric and placement of blocks. 

The way the blocks were placed in the quilt, using light and dark colors would create an arrow pointing north. Showing the slaves the way to go.

The block shown in the book.

My block

You will need:

2 lights for backgrounds

1 dark and 1 medium for the nests

2 colors for the birds

Out of the 2 lights, cut the following:

1- 6" square

3- 2 1/2" X 3 1/4"

The meduim and dark for the nests you will need:

1 -  7" X 8"

For the 2 color of birds cut:

1 - 6" square

Take the 6" square for the birds and the background.

With right sides together, using 1 light and 1 bird fabric, draw you sewing lines 1/4" on either side of both diagonal lines. As shown above. Repeat with the other background and bird fabrics. Stitch on lines.

After stitching, cut both diagonal lines in the center of the stitched lines and then cut a horizontal line 3" from the edge of square. Then cut a vertical line also 3" from the edge of square. As shown above.

 Press seams toward the dark fabric.  You will have 8 half square triangle squares from both. ( I lost one of my squares from the cutting table to the ironing board. Good thing I only need 6 of each color. )

Lay out your squares and your rectangles to form your birds.        

  Sew your rows together starting with the top row and so on.  Press seams.                                  

Then with your rows together sew the 3 rows together. Press your seams away from the center. This should measure 6 1/2" X 7 1/4".

Lay the piece as above, with wrong side up.  Mark the top and bottom corners.

Draw a line 1/2" away from the top corner to the corner mark at the bottom.

Next draw a line 1/2" from the bottom corner to the top corner mark, as above.

Lay your birds, one on the dark nest and one on the meduim nest, as above. Sew on the lines drawn.

After stitching, cut down the middle of the stitched lines.  Press seams toward the nest.

Square should measure 6 1/2" square. Repeat with the other nest.

Lay your nest of birds out the way you want them.  Sew them together and press seams.

You now have your 12th block.

Here are my 12 blocks.  3 more blocks to go and the label block.  I will be posting 2 blocks next month and the final block and label in December.

Have fun.

Underground Railroad Block 11

Underground Railroad Block 11

Flying Geese

The Flying Geese quilt is the 8th quilt in the Williams family code.

With this quilt , slaves learned they were to take their direction, timing and behavior from migrating geese.

Since geese fly north in the spring, it was also the best time for slaves to escape. Geese have to stop any waterways along the journey in order to rest and eat. Especially since geese make loud honking noises, it was easy for the runaways to follow their flight pattern.

Geese patches can easily be sewn together in four directions. A clever quilter wishing to assist the runaways could show direction simply by making one set of Geese distinct from the others. This one block could act as a compass, transforming the quilt into a map.

This is the block from the book.

This is my block using the navy and cheddars.

I used 3 different prints for the geese and 1 print for the sky of the geese.

The 3 squares for the geese are 5 1/4" x 5 1/4" sq. and the for the sky you will 

need 12 squares 2 7/8" x 2 7/8" sq. you can also use different lights for the sky 

instead of just one print. You will also need 2 prints for the strips along the flying geese.

Out of each of those 2 prints cut 4 strips 1 1/2" x 7" strips. I have mine laid out in the above picture.

To make the flying geese, place two of the 2 7/8" squares on top of the 5 1/4" square.

Stitch 1/4" on either side of the center diagonal line. I have drawn my stitching lines.

After stitching your lines, cut down the center diagonally.  Press sky away from the geese.

Place a 2 7/8" square in the corner of your piece after pressing. Draw your stitching lines as before, stitch and cut down the center of the two stitched lines. Press sky away

from geese. 

Trim your geese. 2 1/2" x 4 1/2". Finish all geese in this manner.

Lay out your 3 different geese in the order you want them and stitch, making 4 different 

units. Press your seams.

Layout your units as in the block as shown above.

Place your strips as above and sew each unit.

Now layout as in the block and sew your units together.

Now you have your finished block. Trim to 12 1/2" square.

Have fun!