Underground Railroad Quilt Code: Fact or Myth?

It's March 15th - National Quilt Day! To honor the event Mom & I wanted to share some fascinating quilt folklore. According to a National Geographic article, Two historians claim that certain quilt patterns may have held a code to help runaway slaves navigate the Underground Railroad. Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad

More info on the meaning of particular patterns, here.

But not everyone is convinced the "quilt code" is fact. There hasn't been much in the way of actual evidence to corroborate the oral history that the book was based on. But it's an inspiring story, nevertheless. And coincidentally sells a lot of patterns and quilting supplies. Which probably has a lot to do with why the story stays alive.