▁varied ▁races ▁and ▁background s ) ▁was ▁hon ored ▁in ▁the ▁series ▁of ▁st amps . ▁ ▁Begin ning ▁with ▁the ▁children ' s ▁story ▁S weet ▁Clara ▁and ▁the ▁Fre edom ▁Qu ilt ▁( 1 9 8 9 ) ▁a ▁legend ▁has ▁grown ▁that ▁slaves ▁used ▁qu il ts ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁to ▁share ▁and ▁transmit ▁secret ▁messages ▁to ▁escape ▁sla very ▁and ▁travel ▁the ▁Under ground ▁Rail road . ▁ ▁Cons ensus ▁among ▁histor ians ▁is ▁that ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁sound ▁basis ▁for ▁this ▁belief , ▁and ▁no ▁documented ▁mention ▁among ▁the ▁thousands ▁of ▁slave ▁narr atives ▁or ▁other ▁contemporary ▁records . ▁ ▁Am ish ▁qu il ts ▁ ▁Another ▁American ▁group ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁distinct ▁style ▁of ▁qu il ting ▁were ▁the ▁Am ish . ▁Typ ically , ▁these ▁qu il ts ▁use ▁only ▁solid ▁fab rics , ▁are ▁pie ced ▁from ▁geometric ▁shapes , ▁do ▁not ▁contain ▁app li qué , ▁and ▁construction ▁is ▁simple ▁( c orn ers ▁are ▁but ted , ▁rather ▁than ▁mit ered , ▁for ▁instance ) ▁and ▁done ▁entirely ▁by ▁hand . ▁Am ish ▁qu il ters ▁also ▁tend ▁to ▁use ▁simple ▁patterns : ▁Lanc aster ▁County ▁Am ish ▁are ▁known ▁for ▁their ▁Diam ond - in - a - S quare ▁and ▁B ars ▁patterns , ▁while ▁other ▁communities ▁use ▁patterns ▁such ▁as ▁Br ick , ▁Stre ak ▁of ▁Light ning , ▁Chinese ▁Co ins , ▁and ▁Log ▁Cab ins , ▁and ▁mid western ▁communities ▁are ▁known ▁for ▁their ▁repeating ▁block ▁patterns .