Still Making Progress
More heat, more rain. It is a good day for reading, or listening to, books while I quilt and work on projects.
Something to Read About
Studying history is a hobby of mine and historical fiction books are my favorites. My latest love are "alternative history books". Two books I've recently read are alternative takes on the Underground Railroad.
The first is Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. Set in a world where the underground railroad is a literal railroad. Cora is a slave on a Georgia plantation and Ceasar is a recent arrival from Virginia. He tells her of the Underground Railroad and they decide to escape. The story takes you on all the twists, turns and perils that lay along the route to freedom. I give it 3 spools ???
The second is Underground Airlines by Ben Winters. An interesting take on racism incorporated into a thriller. Set in contemporary times, the story follows Victor, an escaped slave, in a world where the Civil War never happened. Four states – Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and a unified Carolina - legalize slavery. The protagonist, Victor, must face the hard choices and compromises he makes to remain free. I give it 4 spools ????
#The100DayProjectMysteryQuilt
It's day 92 of The 100 Day Project Mystery Quilt - Block 92 is The Railroad. This is a 3" block.
This block combines the simple 4 patch unit with half-square units. It is easy to see a railroad track in this block. Sometimes you'll see this block referred to as the "Underground Railroad" block. I think it is interesting that the earliest reference to that name is by Carrie Hall in 1935. The myth of underground railroad quilts has been debunked by experts. I think they name may have been selected to honor the Underground Railroad.
The Railroad, Ladies Art Company, 1897
Jacob's Ladder, Ruby McKim, Kansas City Star, November 7, 1928
Dublin Road Quilt, Nancy Page, Nashville Banner, June 14, 1932
Garden Walk, Farmer's Advocate, March 16, 1933
Underground Railroad¸ Carrie Hall, 1935
Pacific Railroad, Nancy Cabot, Chicago Tribune, October 9, 1936
Off to San Francisco, Nancy Page, Birmingham News, April 4, 1939
The Road to Arkansas, Kansas City Star, June 6, 1956
*The Quilter’s Album of Patchwork Patterns, Jinny Beyer 2009
How are your projects progressing?
Until next time,