Countywide : Irvine Quilters Stitch a Story of Freedom

When Tonee White first read the popular children’s book “Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt,” she knew she wanted to do something to make the book come to life for children.

An avid quilter, White decided to make a replica of the book’s quilt for her daughter, a first-grade teacher in Santa Ana. “It was a big hit with the kids,” White said. “They thought the quilt in the classroom was the actual quilt from the book.”

The quilt was such a hit, White decided to teach a workshop on how to make it for members of the Flying Geese Quilters Guild, an Irvine-based group. Once a year, the guild makes quilts for a charity. “It’s not a hard quilt to make,” White said. “It’s also not the prettiest quilt design, but the story behind it makes up for that.”

The finished quilts are being donated to area schools in time to coincide with the observance in February of Black History Month.

The book, by Deborah Hopkinson, is based on a true story about a slave who literally pieces together an escape route to the north into a quilt. When she escapes, she leaves the quilt behind for other slaves to use.

It took Heather Earnest of Silverado about 30 hours to make the quilt. “I like the philanthropic aspect of the project,” she said. Earnest donated her quilt to Silverado Elementary School, where her daughter attends.

“It’s such a wonderful story,” said Betty Bryson, the school’s librarian. “When I heard we were getting the quilt I made sure to order the book for the library.”

Bryson said she plans to display the quilt in the library and has read the story to classes during library visits. At least 20 other schools will receive the quilts, including schools in Mission Viejo, Irvine, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano and Cypress.