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.