To give a quilt was indeed to give of one's self and that gift was one between close relatives and friends. The designs of each quilt were guarded, the work done in the privacy of the quilter's home, and not shown until the quilt was completed. Subtle songs were created and sung in public to chastise the culprit of an unauthorized "borrowing" of a pattern. Designs were often drawn directly onto the folded fabric to be cut, thus eliminating patterns. Authorized use of a design usually meant that a friend or relative could make her own pattern from the finished quilt. This inaccurate method and the natural creativity which prompted spontaneous "improvements" and a use of different colors caused many patterns using the same name to look very different. As long as the basic outline of the original design was recognizable, the quilt usually kept the original name. It took a skilled designer to alter this outline and a brave one to then rename the pattern.

 

Names of quilts were often deceptive. Those using leaves or flowers, scenes, events or objects were easily defined. But, because many quilts were the result of an emotional or highly personal event in the quilters' life, many of the patterns bore little or no resemblance to the names. Too, the literal English translation often changed the meaning of words, obscuring the sentiment. Sometimes the real meaning of a design that had great personal significance was known only to the designer. Naming the design something quite different from the real meaning allowed her to keep her true feelings a secret. Or if the subject touched on the risqué, it was well hidden by double meanings and complicated translation.

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