Neither I nor anyone in my family quilts. But I know some women in Pittsburgh who make the most wonderful quilts.

Members of this African American group often incorporate African symbols and frabics into their quilts, resulting in an object of art that promotes group identity and pride. Having seen some of these 'masterpieces' on display as wall hangings at the art gallery of a local Community center, I couldn't imagine anyone really using them as a bed covering. It almost seens sacriligous to do so.

HEREis a link to a site that provides a listing of online articles about African American quilting & quilters.

An excerpt of that article follows:

"My first awareness of African-American quilts as a category of quiltmaking came several years ago when Eli Leon, collector of African-American quilts and author of several books and show catalogs, came to me to help him solve a problem dating a quilt with questions about the dyes on it. Eli had received a Guggenheim award several years ago to aid in his research and collecting of African-American quilts. I later read one of his well-researched books and saw how he drew parallels between the quilts made in the African-American community and the fabrics which I knew and loved from Africa. I was hooked! (He also draws parallels with jazz, another of my favorite things, and African-American quilt improvisation styles.) The combination of elements of traditional African textiles with the blocks and patterns of traditional American quilt patterns can result in a joyful finished quilt."

-snip-

So I'm also hooked-on learning more about this subject if not on doing the actual quilting itself.

Though who knows what the future holds-or the here & now for that matter?!