Today’s block is a very simple one. I chose an easier, faster block than I normally make because the fabric for the wedding quilt I’m piecing has finally arrived. I’m eager to get started on this new project. In Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns, this block has no less than 20 names. One of my favorite names for it is Hole in the Barn Door. Another name is Monkey Wrench. According to Sue Bouchard and Eleanor Burns in the Quilt in a Day Underground Railroad Sampler, this block was one of several that were used to give secret signals to runaway slaves in the 1800's. A Monkey Wrench block in a quilt might be a sign for slaves to begin gathering tools for building shelters along the way, for defending themselves, or for directing their journey northward to freedom.
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