Wagon Wheel

“If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If there’s shouting after you, keep going. Don’t ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going. ~Harriet Tubman

Last week I encouraged my readers to think about the struggles and successes of your own ancestors. More specifically the minorities or women who came before you and made you who you are. I also encouraged you to consider how one voice can make a difference.

This week I’ll be featuring the next quilt block in my “Underground Railroad” quilt, and telling you about a woman, who was a minority, and the difference that she made.

Now, I present to you, the “Wagon Wheel” block!

To make this quilt I had to make a template out of paper, I chose card stock. I then cut out the different colors that would make up my wagon wheel.

Once they were all cut I placed them in their sewing order.

First I sewed together one half. Then I started sewing the second half of the wheel.

Once both halves of the wheel were together, I then joined them.

My wagon wheel was coming together.

I placed the center circle on it just to get a feel for what it would look like finished.

Let’s take a break from sewing and talk about Harriet Tubman. Why Harriet Tubman? Well she was a slave who escaped to freedom on the Underground Railroad system. Once she reached the Northern states she wanted to help her fellow enslaved people. She helped approx. 70 people escape slavery. Not only did she do that but she was also a spy during the Civil War for the Union Army. Thinking about Harriet Tubman made me question, could I be as brave as she was? Would I risk my life for the freedom of others? It’s one thing to talk about principles and it’s another to “stand on business”. I’d like to think I would stand on business, but ultimately I would hope to never be faced with such decisions. Let us hope that history does not repeat itself when it comes to such hatred and evil as slavery. Would you stand on business?

Here she is, Harriet Tubman, a woman who risked her life time and time again so that others could be free. She stood on business indeed!

For more information about Harriet Tubman, you can check out the link below!

https://www.biography.com/activists/harriet-tubman

Back to the wagon wheel. When this quilt was displayed it meant to pack provisions. It would sometimes mean that you would use a wagon as part of your escape. Many wagons had hidden compartments that could hide an escaping slave. “Conductors” on the Underground Railroad were people who helped to facilitate escape from one safe house to another. Harriet Tubman was a Conductor.

I’m making multiple blocks so my quilt will be big. I pinned the center of the wagon wheels to fusible interfacing, with the right sides together.

I then pinned the wagon wheels to fusible interfacing using the same technique.

I sewed them then trimmed them. I cut a small hole in the back so I could flip the wagon wheel to it’s right side. I placed it on it’s quilt block. I had ironed it, folding it in half and then in half again to find the center. I then lined up the wagon wheel on the block.

I had sewn and flipped the center of the wagon wheel, and placed it where it needed to go.

I then ironed it into place. The heat of the iron fuses the wagon wheel and center to the block. This holds it in place so I can stitch it down.

I then used a big zig zag stitch all around the outside of the wagon wheel, and around the center of the wagon wheel.

And it was done!

Here are the three blocks I have made so far. Jacob’s Ladder, Monkey Wrench, and Wagon Wheel. I’m excited to see how it will all come together.

I’m also glad to be on this journey of quilt making and story telling. The sacrifices that those in the past made, so we can have the freedoms that we enjoy today should not be forgotten. It’s like the American philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it.”

As for me, onto the next!