The Sankofa Sewing Club celebrates textile arts and the power of story telling in the African-American community.
Our goal is to bring together young and old for the purpose of soulful sewing and textile crafting.
If you are interested in hosting a sewing party or attending a class contact us via email at [email protected].
Our goal is to bring together young and old for the purpose of soulful sewing and textile crafting.
If you are interested in hosting a sewing party or attending a class contact us via email at [email protected].
A Little History of Quilting
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This is Rosie Lee Tompkins and one of the many quilts that she's made during her lifetime. She learned from her mother at a young age, where she quickly became skilled. Rosie was discovered by Lawrence Rinder, who helped display her work at an art museum at the University of California at Berkeley in 1997. Her work later appeared in the 2002 Whitney Biennial. 20 of her quilts are now displayed at the Berkeley Art Museum in Berkeley, California.
Photo used from The Radical Quilting of Rosie Lee Thompkins by Roberta Smith. |
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This is The Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles by Faith Ringgold. This piece of artwork displays eight powerful Black women: from the upper left is Madam CJ Walker, Sojourner Truth, Ida Wells, Fannie Lou Hammer, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Mary McLeod Bethune and Ella Baker. The quilt they are holding is a symbolizes the achievements that these women made throughout history. Vincent Van Gogh is also featured in this artwork, since he is famously known for painting sunflowers. This piece is displayed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Photo used from the Philadelphia Museum of Art . |
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These five women were photographed participating in a quilting bee at a Lake Providence Senior Citizen's Center in
Lake Providence, Louisiana. Starting from the left is Rosie Lee Love, Laura Thompson, Mary Davis, Mrs. Edward Jones and Georgia Edwards. Quilting bees are when groups of quilters come together and help each other make quilts as a community. In the past, quilting bees were neighborhood and family events. Now, they are more commonly organized by senior centers and churches. Photo used from Louisiana Quilt Documentation Project by Susan Roach. |
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There is a myth that quilts were used along the Underground Railroad to signal where slaves on the run should go or do. These messages were called quilt codes. Sharon Tindall was an avid believer in quilt codes, and made the quilt that you see. According to legend, this was the system that was used to communicate to runaway slaves: Bow Tie: Dress in disguise to appear of a higher status Bear Paw: Follow an animal trail to find water and food Log Cabin: Seek shelter now, the people here are safe Photo used from Underground Railroad Quilt Codes What We Know, What We Believe, and What Inspires Us by Marie Claire Bryant. |
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