Quilting
Rebecca Hinson, Richard Lederer, John Robuck
Hardcover
(Rebecca Hinson Publishing, Sept. 25, 2014)
Quilting interprets the role of quilting in American life. The American block quilt is a uniquely American art form. Quilt blocks are made of pieces of cloth sewn together to make a pattern. Often quilts commemorate a marriage or birth, leaving a community, freedom, or even death. Women could not own personal property in any states until 1839, but they raised money for worthy causes by selling quilts at festivals and bazaars. Women supported abolition of slavery through their Underground Railroad, Slave Chain, and North Star quilts. As soldiers went to war or families settled the Western frontier, additional quilts were needed. Friendship quilts were made of blocks with messages from those left behind. Quilts were made as raffle prizes to raise money for both the Union and the Confederate armies. The Women's Christian Temperance Union publicized alcohol's threat to the family. They charged ten cents to add a signature to their quilts which would be raffled off. Their quilts were often blue and white like the Drunkard's Path pattern. The WCTU also supported an eight-hour work day, prison reform, vocational training, child care, and women's right to vote. American block quilts gave women a voice in a world in which they had no voice. 24-page bookfor grades 3-8 with free downloadable ELA text-dependent questions and teacherresources from Rebecca Hinson Publishing website.