Quilts
Quilt Patterns and Designs
Some of the most beautiful quilts are those following the African American tradition of symbolic geometry and protective script incorporated in the quilt work. Many of the quilts designed by African Americans include diamond-shaped patterns in the fabric, with the four points symbolizing the four stages of life: birth, life, death, and rebirth. The circle also represents this cycle. Often the patterns are broken by irregular lines, originating from the belief that evil follows straight lines and that a break in the pattern would confuse the spirit and cause it to slow down. Protective script woven through the quilt, either in the native language or in English, conveys the knowledge, power and intelligence of the quilt designer.
Quilting follows a long tradition of textile weaving, which was originally done by men in Africa. Quilting allowed worn clothing to be re-used, and it provided an opportunity for the enslaved individuals to create new patterns. Quilts were also used by the Underground Railroad to convey messages. Log cabin quilts made with black cloth were hung to mark a safe house of refuge. Some quilts provided escape routes out of a plantation or county; others marked the stars that would act as a nighttime map through the country to freedom.