"The work you and your mother have created is exactly the kind of intergenerational, culturally grounded storytelling that brings history to life in deeply personal and community-centered ways. It’s inspiring. And it has been an honor to be part of the process."
- Aaron Butler, Bookbutler Publishing Company
Upper Marlboro, Maryland
"This is a source of pride for the entire Afro-descendant community that a woman of such advanced age has in her soul the desire to continue fighting to bring knowledge to future generations."
- Teo Jolly, Panama City, Panama
"Mrs. Edmunds presented A Life in Stitches ... the audience stood in awe...."
- Deloris Crews, Ballou Recreation Center, City of Danville, Virginia
"She has a profound message and she has decided to serve, to understand and make transparent the difficulties and challenges of history." - Anna-Greta Liimatainen, Helsinki, Finland
In the darkness of the mid-1800s, enslaved people risked everything to escape bondage, relying on a clandestine network known as the Underground Railroad. African American quilters, often women, stitched coded messages into quilts—using patterns like the Wagon Wheel, Flying Geese, and Log Cabin—to guide freedom seekers along their perilous journey north. These patterns, passed quietly among trusted hands, became silent signals of hope and direction, helping those fleeing slavery recognize safe houses, the right time to move, or when to wait.
EARLY STITCHES
Edith Edmunds made her first quilt with her twin sister Earle at just seven years old, using a treadle sewing machine. It was only later, in adulthood, that she learned of the secret language embedded in quilt squares and the ingenious ways enslaved African Americans used symbols to outwit slave catchers and reclaim their destinies.
STAGE
Today, in her solo performance A Life in Stitches, Edith breathes life into a history that once lived only in whispers and history books. She captivates audiences by weaving her own childhood memories with the broader African American experience—connecting the geometry of quilt blocks to the artistry and problem-solving spirit that fueled the quest for freedom. Through her storytelling, she honors the creativity, courage, and unity that defined generations of African Americans.
PUBLICATIONS
Her book, Secret Stitches: Underground Railroad Activity Book for Children and Adults, brings this rich history to life for new generations. By integrating geometry and historical symbols, Edith creates a unique learning experience that celebrates African American heritage and the indomitable will to be free. She uses nine classic quilt patterns to teach about triangles, rectangles, squares, and parallelograms, all within the powerful context of the Civil War and the fight for emancipation. The companion volume Sacred Stitches, champions the courage of enslaved children.
ABOUT AMY EDMUNDS
EARLY STITCHES
Like her mother, master quilter Edith Younger Edmunds, Amy Edmunds found her way to needle and thread long before she reached a classroom. Under the gentle guidance of her grandmother, Estelle Rone Younger, Amy learned the rhythms of sewing—first stitching straight seams to create string quilt squares, then hemming dish towels, and eventually crafting her own pillowcases. By middle school, she was confidently sewing many of her own school clothes, already carrying forward the family’s legacy of skill, creativity, and purposeful making.
PANDEMIC ORGINS
Life would take Amy far beyond the sewing room. As an educator, corporate consultant, and global advocate for stroke awareness in young adults, she traveled more than forty countries. Yet those journeys unexpectedly prepared her for the role that would become her most meaningful.
When the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a halt, it also brought Amy back to her childhood home. She returned to support her then-95-year-old mother through the challenges of lockdown—and in doing so, discovered a new shared path.
In the quiet of those months, mother and daughter found themselves deep in conversation about the Underground Railroad, African American quilting traditions and the coded artistry that lived within the stitches of their ancestors. What began as storytelling soon grew into a collaborative mission.
COWORKERS
Today, Amy serves as Edith’s primary caregiver and trusted business manager. She also co-authored the monologue Life in Stitches as well as the award-winning, bestselling Secret Stitches, with its highly anticipated sequel Sacred Stitches.
Together, Amy and Edith continue to illuminate the powerful truth that elevate quilts beyond their usual purpose. They are memory. They are artistry. They are testimony. And through their work, they preserve the stories of a people who created beauty, meaning, and hope—even in the face of hardship.
CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION:
eyedmunds@gmail.com or 843.655.2835