{"id":2103298,"date":"2026-08-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2103298"},"modified":"2026-08-20T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T21:00:00","slug":"stories-in-the-seams-showcases-the-enduring-legacy-of-black-quilts-across-centuries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2103298","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Stories in the Seams\u2019 Showcases the Enduring Legacy of Black Quilts Across Centuries"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1668\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/stories-3.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a geometric quilt outlining two crouching figures\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Basil Kincaid, \u201cMy Momma Prayers Work\u201d (2019-20). All images courtesy of the artists and Chronicle Books, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">\u2018Stories in the Seams\u2019 Showcases the Enduring Legacy of Black Quilts Across Centuries<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-08-20T12:50:39-05:00\">August 20, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-books\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/books\/\" rel=\"tag\">Books<\/a><a class=\"category-craft\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/craft\/\" rel=\"tag\">Craft<\/a><a class=\"category-history\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/history\/\" rel=\"tag\">History<\/a><a class=\"category-social-issues\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/social-issues\/\" rel=\"tag\">Social Issues<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/kmothes\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Kate Mothes<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul class=\"colossal-share-buttons\">\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--facebook\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F08%2Fstories-in-the-seams-quilts-sharbreon-plummer-book%2F&amp;title=%26%238216%3BStories%20in%20the%20Seams%26%238217%3B%20Showcases%20the%20Enduring%20Legacy%20of%20Black%20Quilts%20Across%20Centuries\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share on Facebook\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Share<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--pinterest\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F08%2Fstories-in-the-seams-quilts-sharbreon-plummer-book%2F&amp;media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F08%2Fstories-3-960x801.jpg&amp;description=%26%238216%3BStories%20in%20the%20Seams%26%238217%3B%20Showcases%20the%20Enduring%20Legacy%20of%20Black%20Quilts%20Across%20Centuries\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share to Pinterest\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Pin<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--email\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#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\" aria-label=\"Email this article\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Email<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--copy\">\n\t\t\t<button type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Copy article link\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link colossal-share-button__copy\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/08\/stories-in-the-seams-quilts-sharbreon-plummer-book\/\" data-label-default=\"Copy\" data-label-copied=\"Copied!\" data-aria-default=\"Copy article link\" data-aria-copied=\"Link copied to clipboard\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-live=\"polite\">Copy<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--bookmark\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"476985\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>From the late 18th century through the end of the Civil War, the Underground Railroad was a network of safe houses where freedom-seekers from the South could find safety and shelter as they traveled north, sometimes all the way to Canada to escape capture and prosecution. It\u2019s possible that there may have even been a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/03\/03\/1235158989\/the-enduring-story-for-underground-railroad-quilts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">secret code<\/a> in the shapes of quilt blocks, which when arranged or displayed in a certain way could have helped direct people to stops along the route. This has never been confirmed with solid evidence, but even if it\u2019s a thing of legend, the folk narrative is a powerful instrument for meaning in the oft-erased history of African American experience.<\/p>\n<p>From 18th-century hand-appliqu\u00e9 cotton bedcovers to contemporary narrative textile works and an elaborate array in between, Black quilts tell innumerable stories. For instance, Viola Burla Leak\u2019s \u201cWatts Riot\u201d (2021) taps into the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Watts_riots\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">violent uprising<\/a> in Los Angeles\u2019 Watts neighborhood in August 1965, a response to racist abuse and prejudice by the Los Angeles Police Department in addition to poverty and employment discrimination. And in 1934, Ruth Clement Bond incorporated an enduring symbol of Black power and autonomy with a representation of a fist holding a red lightning bolt, flanked by the American flag and the blazing sun.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/stories-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476985\" title=\"Ruth Clement Bond, \u201cTennessee Valley Authority Appliqu\u00e9 Quilt Design of a Black Fist\u201d (1934)\" data-rl_title=\"Ruth Clement Bond, \u201cTennessee Valley Authority Appliqu\u00e9 Quilt Design of a Black Fist\u201d (1934)\" data-rl_caption=\"Ruth Clement Bond, \u201cTennessee Valley Authority Appliqu\u00e9 Quilt Design of a Black Fist\u201d (1934)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2334\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/stories-1.jpg\" alt=\"a quilt featuring the Black Power fist with a red lightning bolt clenched in it, with the sun and an American flag in the top corners\" class=\"wp-image-476992\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ruth Clement Bond, \u201cTennessee Valley Authority Appliqu\u00e9 Quilt Design of a Black Fist\u201d (1934)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Leak and Bond\u2019s creations are just two examples amid a veritable wealth of stitched history in <em>Stories in the Seams: A People\u2019s History of Black Quilts and Their Makers<\/em>, forthcoming from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chroniclebooks.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chronicle Books<\/a>. Thoroughly researched by Sharbreon Plummer, the richly illustrated volume delves into the centuries-old practice, illuminating the societal shifts and technological advances that contributed to ways of making and a culture that evolved around textiles.<\/p>\n<p>One of the most crucial themes in <em>Stories in the Seams<\/em> touches on quilting\u2019s roots in the cotton industry and slavery, especially in the American South during the 18th and 19th centuries. Enslaved women often hand-sewed bedspreads and other items for plantation homes, but following Emancipation, when Black individuals \u201cwere no longer bound by the laws of chattel slavery, they entered Reconstruction with the promise of freedom but little material support to build new lives,\u201d Plummer writes in an introductory chapter titled \u201cHomecoming.\u201d \u201cFaced with the uncertainties of labor, land, and citizenship, they relied on their quiltmaking and textile work to generate resources.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In addition to vibrant images of a huge variety of projects from narrative compositions to incredibly meticulous geometric works, readers discover archival photos of individuals who have defined the tradition. Plummer guides us through centuries of meticulous making and innovation, exploring historical and contemporary methods, materials, and symbolism. Pieces by the Quilters of Gee\u2019s Bend are complemented by 21st-century works by artists like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/bisa-butler\">Bisa Butler<\/a>, Basil Kincaid, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/faith-ringgold\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Faith Ringgold<\/a>, whose practices expand how we think of the craft.<\/p>\n<p><em>Stories in the Seams <\/em>is slated for release on October 6. Pre-order your copy on <a href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/a\/96\/9781797231570\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bookshop<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/stories-5.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476985\" title=\"Viola Burley Leak, \u201cWatts Riot\u201d (2021)\" data-rl_title=\"Viola Burley Leak, \u201cWatts Riot\u201d (2021)\" data-rl_caption=\"Viola Burley Leak, \u201cWatts Riot\u201d (2021)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2133\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/stories-5.jpg\" alt=\"a graphic quilt depicting the Watts Riot\" class=\"wp-image-476996\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Viola Burley Leak, \u201cWatts Riot\u201d (2021)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/stories-4.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476985\" title=\"Aliyah Bonnette,\u201dShe Realized You Weren\u2019t the Sun\u201d (2023)\" data-rl_title=\"Aliyah Bonnette,\u201dShe Realized You Weren\u2019t the Sun\u201d (2023)\" data-rl_caption=\"Aliyah Bonnette,\u201dShe Realized You Weren\u2019t the Sun\u201d (2023)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1903\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/stories-4.jpg\" alt=\"an artistic quilted artwork with a reclining Black woman against a geometric background of pinks and yellows, with a sun above her\" class=\"wp-image-476995\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliyah Bonnette,\u201dShe Realized You Weren\u2019t the Sun\u201d (2023)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/stories-6.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476985\" title=\"Tanekeya Word Harris, \u201cnot your great grandmother\u2019s fairytale\u201d (2023)\" data-rl_title=\"Tanekeya Word Harris, \u201cnot your great grandmother\u2019s fairytale\u201d (2023)\" data-rl_caption=\"Tanekeya Word Harris, \u201cnot your great grandmother\u2019s fairytale\u201d (2023)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"826\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/stories-6.jpg\" alt=\"a three-part quilt featuring portraits of two Black children, birds, and a mysterious dark figure in the center\" class=\"wp-image-476997\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tanekeya Word Harris, \u201cnot your great grandmother\u2019s fairytale\u201d (2023)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/stories-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476985\" title=\"Elizabeth T. Scott in collaboration with Joyce J. Scott, \u201cThree Generation Quilt\u201d (1983)\" data-rl_title=\"Elizabeth T. Scott in collaboration with Joyce J. Scott, \u201cThree Generation Quilt\u201d (1983)\" data-rl_caption=\"Elizabeth T. Scott in collaboration with Joyce J. Scott, \u201cThree Generation Quilt\u201d (1983)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/stories-2.jpg\" alt=\"a colorful quilt with three narrative panels featuring Black figures\" class=\"wp-image-476993\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Elizabeth T. Scott in collaboration with Joyce J. Scott, \u201cThree Generation Quilt\u201d (1983)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/stories-7.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476985\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1494\" height=\"1906\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/stories-7.jpg\" alt=\"cover of the book &apos;Stories in the Seams&apos;\" class=\"wp-image-476998\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"118516\">Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"block-17\" class=\"widget widget_block\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-benefits is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hide advertising<\/li>\n<li>Save your favorite articles<\/li>\n<li>Get 15% off in the <a href=\"https:\/\/colossal.shop\/\">Colossal Shop<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Receive members-only newsletter<\/li>\n<li>Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-options is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Join us today!<\/h3>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-horizontal is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-verdigris-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/colossal.memberful.com\/checkout?plan=113464\">$7\/month<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-verdigris-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/colossal.memberful.com\/checkout?plan=113463\">$75\/year<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-chalk-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\">Explore membership options<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"20\" height=\"21\" class=\"wp-image-327872\" style=\"width: 20px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/arrow-left.svg\" alt><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/aside>\n<nav class=\"navigation post-navigation\" role=\"navigation\">\n<div class=\"nav-links\">\n<div class=\"nav-previous\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/08\/grace-baldwin-giant-junk-drawer-sculpture\/\" rel=\"prev\">Next article<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Basil Kincaid, \u201cMy Momma Prayers Work\u201d (2019-20). All images courtesy of the artists and Chronicle Books, shared with permission \u2018Stories in the Seams\u2019 Showcases the Enduring Legacy of Black Quilts Across Centuries August 20, 2026 BooksCraftHistorySocial Issues Kate Mothes Share Pin Email Copy Bookmark From the late 18th century through the end of the Civil [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-2103298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2103298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2103298"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2103298\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2103298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2103298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2103298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}