Sunday, May 24, 2009

Getting Started

This is the beginning of my trip and the beginning of my blog experience! I am a teacher in Northeast Indiana and was awarded a Lilly Grant this summer for teacher enrichment. I am going to travel a path of the Underground Railroad and when I return home I will make signal quilts that some say were used on the UGRR to help the fleeing slaves.

I know that there is a great deal of controversy about whether quilts were used as signals or not. There are no written documents that provide concrete proof, only oral histories. Being from a family that is big on oral histories I am approaching this with an open mind. The quest of my journey is not to prove this theory but to enjoy the benefits of exploring a whole new world based on "what if".

Currently I am working on a Monkey Wrench quilt that would signal slaves to pack their bags and begin their journey. My actual Journey will begin June 4.