"Rosa Parks II" Quilt by Yvonne Wells, 2006
THF94582 / "Rosa Parks II" Quilt by Yvonne Wells, 2006
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Artifact Overview
Rosa Parks's December 1, 1955, refusal to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus led to such successful public action that many consider her act to be the spark that ignited the Civil Rights movement. Yvonne Wells, a self-taught artist and retired schoolteacher, created this pictorial quilt without using patterns or templates.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Pictorial quilt
Date Made
2006
Creators
Place of Creation
Creator Notes
Handmade by Yvonne Wells in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
2008.118.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Purchased with funds from the Eleanor B. Safford Memorial Textile Fund.
Material
Cotton (Textile)
Polyester (Fiber)
Rickrack
Floss (Yarn)
Batting
Technique
Applique (Technique)
Piecing
Quilting
Hand sewing
Machine sewing (Technique)
Color
Red
White (Color)
Blue
Green
Silver (Color)
Black (Color)
Brown
Dimensions
Height: 87.75 in (at longest length)
Width: 77.25 in (at widest width)
Inscriptions
Inscribed in black ink on back: ROSA / PARKS II / 2006-6 / Yvonne / Wells / (triangle shape)
Inscribed in red embroidery on the front lower proper left corner: YW 2006-6
Specifications
Pattern: Pictorial (story) quilt, "Rosa Parks II"
Number of Pieces (top):
Fabric (top): American flag; plain and printed fabrics: red, blue and tan woven plaid cotton, tan polyester knit, dark green, red, white and blue cottons, metallic silver cotton
Piecing Technique: hand-appliqued
Number of Pieces (back): 2
Fabric (back): cotton fabric printed with black circles on a white background
Stitches per Inch: 2-3
Quilting Pattern: an overall elbow or fan design
Quilting Technique: Hand quilting
Binding: back turned to front
Batting: thick batting
Note(s): The quilt is inscribed in red embroidery on the front lower corner, proper left, with YM 2006-6 and a small folded piece of red fabric in the shape of a triangle inserted in the binding. The quilt back is inscribed in black ink: ROSA / PARKS II / 2006-6 / Yvonne / Wells/ (triangle shape). The quilt maker uses the triangle motif to symbolize the Trinity of Christianity.
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Related Artifacts
ArtifactRosa Parks Bus
Inside this bus on December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, a soft-spoken African-American seamstress, refused to give up her seat to a white man, breaking existing segregation laws. The flawless character and quiet strength she exhibited successfully ignited action in others. For this, many believe Rosa Parks's act was the event that sparked the Civil Rights movement.
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Inside this bus on December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, a soft-spoken African-American seamstress, refused to give up her seat to a white man, breaking existing segregation laws. The flawless character and quiet strength she exhibited successfully ignited action in others. For this, many believe Rosa Parks's act was the event that sparked the Civil Rights movement. 
articleLooking Back - National Day of Courage 2013
Take a look at the National Day of Courage in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation — a day celebrating Rosa Parks on what would have been her 100th birthday.