Sue’s Underground Railroad Quilt

Sue Coe made this magnificent Underground Railroad sampler quilt featuring quilt blocks used in quilts as signs for escaped slaves along the Underground Railroad. According to legend, a safe house along the Underground Railroad was often indicated by a quilt hanging from a clothesline, fence or windowsill. The blocks formed a type of code, communicating useful information. Along the edges the meaning of each block is embroidered in brown thread. The green print used in the sashing and gold print used for the legend tie these historic blocks together beautifully. I stipple quilted it for her using ecru thread to reproduce the look of the quilting found in many of these original quilts. A beautiful and compelling way to preserve this history and keep it alive.