The idea of a quilt to many may be a covering or protecting from cold temperatures or for laying on; however Africans throughout history use quilts to describe parts of their lives, put messages in, and tell stories of both the past and present. The quilts are made up of different materials such as silk, polyester, and nylon, but for the most part, the easiest and most affordable way for quilts to be made was through cotton.
The quilting tradition was brought to the Americas through the slave trade and has influenced many cultures throughout North America, Central America, and Caribbeans. Many African-Americans still practice the tradition now and continue to add and create other ways to make quilts.
All quilts were hand woven for the early parts of history. Quilts were hand woven and quilters had to use a needle and thread to sew in a running stitch along the area of the quilt to bind the layers of the quilt together. Another process used was a stab stitch which was binding each layer one by one. Two other methods that were also used were the rocking stitch which meant that the quilter used one hand to hold a thimble and the other hand was located underneath to push the needle through the quilt, and loading the needle method which incorporated four or more stitches before the needle was pulled through the cloth.
The Weave quilt was originally done by African males, but through slavery, women were chosen to do the quilting and the men were sent out into the fields. The Weave style is patches of different straight colored patterns combined to make one quilt.
In Africa, quilts were also used for recognition. Due to number of different tribes in Africa, it became easier for allies and members within the tribe to spot one another by wearing quilts that had large colors and large shapes. The idea of creating large shapes and colors made it visually easier for tribesmen to spot foes from friends.
African tribes found that it was especially important to add and subtract from their previous ideas of quilt designing. They felt that by creating a new design, they could incorporate a new story telling into the quilts. They started to put breaks into the patterns to represent a rebirth in an ancestral power of those who wore the quilt and by those who created the quilt. The African tribes also felt that by adding a break in between the patterns, that the evil spirits would be kept away because they felt that evil spirits traveled in a straight line, and by having a break withing a certain pattern, the evil spirit would be deterred. This idea of improvising was also brought to the United States and African Americans also used improvisation in European American patterns. Below are two different quilts that have different pattern breaks from the African American influence on European American quilt making.
The Wedding Ring Quilt is an example of African American improvisation of European quilts.
The Diamond Strap is another example of African American influence on an European American quilt.
Prestige was another reason for why quilts were made in Africa amongst tribes. The Multiple Patterned quilts showed a tribesman's prestige, power, status amongst its tribe members, and wealth. For the most part, those who owned and wore the Multiple Patterned quilts tended to be priests and royalties.
The importance for decorating the quilt with a numerous amount of patterns was so that it could never be replicated by another person or tribe. It was basically a copyright.
This Multiple Patterned quilt shows a mans prestige, power, and wealth.
This 1938 quilt shows plantation life and the creators family.
Family albums were not always pictures put into a book. In fact, in Africa, quilts were made especially for the sole purpose of preserving family memories. The idea which started in Africa was brought to the United States and the idea was used throughout most of our countries history, and is still in practice today. Many things that were sewn onto the quilts were marriage, birth, location, and religious and spiritual beliefs.
Below is a quilt titled "Black Family Album" from 1854. The quilt was a piece of the creators history that represented the family's heritage, lineage, and traditions.
The creator shows its families lineage and history through this quilt.
This video shows the process of a making a quilt along with the
The representation of the life cycle was definitely a huge part of the African quilt building theme. Any quilt that had circles on it represented the life cycle, and any quilt that consisted of diamonds also represented the four parts of the life cycle, which included birth, life, death, and rebirth.
This is an example of an African quilt which represented the life cycle.
Protective scripts were also used in Africa through native and symbolic languages, but as the slave trade brought many Africans to America, the protective scripts began to have the English language inscribed in it as well. The scripts were sacred because they showed the intelligence, power, and knowledge the creator of the quilt had.
This quilt by Eleanor Burns and Sue Bouchard, is a replica of what was used during the Underground Railroad.
In the Americas, during slavery, people associated with the Underground Railroad used quilts to relay their messages across. They had a set of key images that would represent something in particular. For example, a black cloth that had a log cabin design was made to symbolize a safe house for refuge from those hunting runaway slaves. Other symbols also included maps on quilts that showed how to escape from certain houses and plantations, while other maps showed which stars to follow to get out of the oppressed South.
This video shows how the Quilt Code helped slaves to escape.
Another famous African American quilt artist known is Harriet Powers. She was a very artistic women, and all of her pieces had a symbolic meaning behind them whether it be family, the Bible, or even celestialphenomena. Powers has become one of the most famous quilt artists in the world, and even after her death in 1910, she is still recognized for evolving the art form into what it has become today.
The Pictorial Quilt (1898) is Powers' most famous art quilt. It represents the constellations.
The idea behind the quilt is something that many cultures are not able to understand, but there is something that keeps the those of African descent happy and close to their origins through a quilt. The quilts sole purpose was to unite and protect individuals who belonged to a tribe and it is fair to say that the ideas behind the quilt may have kept the lives of African Americans comfortable rather than without it.
Here is a link of a few famous women who kept the art of quilt designing alive in the United States: http://cas.umkc.edu/art/faculty/wahlman/quilters.html
This video is an example African American's continuing quilt designing.
Crain, Dena. "What Makes an African Quilt "African?" | Dena Crain: Artist/Teacher in Kenya." Dena Crain: Artist/Teacher in Kenya. Web. 02 Dec. 2011. <http://www.denacrain.com/blog/tutorials/african-quilt/>.
Druding, Susan. "African-American Quilts &
Quilters - Historical and Current, Influences from African Fabrics
Combined with Traditional Quilt Designs." Straw.com - Straw Into Gold, Crystal Palace Yarns, Free Knitting Patterns, Quilting and More. Web. 02 Dec. 2011. <http://www.straw.com/quilting/articles/africamer.html>.
Lippa, Matt. "Pictures of Quilts at Artisans Folk Art, Antiques, and Outsider Art Gallery." Folk Art, Antiques, Tramp Art, Quilts, Whimseys, Furniture, Outsider Art at Artisans. CALL 256-634-4037. Web. 02 Dec. 2011. <http://www.folkartisans.com/pages/p-quilts.html>.
Wahlman, Maude. "Untitled Document." College of Arts & Sciences at UMKC. Web. 02 Dec. 2011. <http://cas.umkc.edu/art/faculty/wahlman/quilters.html>.
