Quilting has been around for centuries, once an important aspect of everyday Appalachian life. Quilts were used for warmth, as decorations, and in accordance with superstitions and rituals. Today, they are often created for artistic or educational purposes, but lack the magical properties of olden times. 

Long ago, these blankets were used to ward away evil beings and beasts, bring luck, or invoke healing－the threads imbued with magic. Displaying a variety of colors and patterns, the quilts reflected nature: several species of flowers, starry nights, forests and hills, and other, familiar scenes. Different cuts and images were made for different purposes: finding love, encouraging a happy marriage, enticing good luck, bestowing curses, calling for protection, and healing ailments. 

Star-pattern quilts, though, were special; they warded away evil beings and drove maliciousness out of a home. They were made by soaking threads on a cloudless day in flower- petal laden water—the pail brought in before the sun’s final beams vanished; the string was then left by a lit fireplace overnight.

The quilt’s success…