Every woman has a story to tell, but in centuries past, she had to find creative ways to tell it. That’s the idea behind Untold Stories: Early American Quilts from the Collection of Susan Brooks, an exhibition that will run from September 14 to November 23 at the Bedford Gallery. Thirty quilts made during the 18th and 19th centuries will be on display, and a message from the creator is embedded into each one’s patterns, says Bedford Gallery Curator Carrie Lederer.

“I’m intrigued by how quilts do tell stories,” says Lederer. “The art of quilting has deep roots in America. No other form of needle art has been so thoroughly employed to narrate the birth and history of this country and the lives of its citizens.” The quilts come from the collection of North Carolina collector Susan Brooks, who scouts for them at bake sa les and auctions. Lederer says that “these quilts were created during the most momentous periods in American history.”

One quilt, made in the 1850s as slaves tried to escape north, uses a pattern called “Underground Railroad.” Some historians believe that when quilts with this pattern were placed outside a house, they told fugitive slaves that the house was a safe place. Other quilts will feature freedom-star patterns made for men fighting in the Civil War and wagon-wheel patterns that were stitched as families trekked across the United States on the Oregon Trail. And another quilt, made during the temperance movement, features what looks like a milk jug, but when the quilt is turned upside down, the milk jug pattern transforms into a wine goblet.

For the New England colonists, and later for the settlers of America’s west, quilting was a necessity, as a shield from the frigid winters and a means of recycling worn clothing. For many, quilting also provided much needed solace (especially in bees), and as a gathering place to find connection, friendship, and share community news and gossip. “Metaphorically, quilts were like anchors or historic documents that could hold and preserve the memories of loved ones, and it wasn’t unusual to see dates, poetry, or a cherished piece of clothing woven into the composition of a quilt,” Lederer says.

Bedford Gallery’s Untold Stories should prove to be a similar experience for people of all ages in our community. Various public programs will introduce audiences to quilting techniques, past and present; involve visitors in building a community quilt; and invite quilt fans from all walks of life to share their own stories and family heirlooms.

This story appears in the July-September 2008 issue of Diablo Arts.