Routed West: 20th-Century African American Quilts in California

A remarkable collection of African American quilts that tells a story of migration, creativity, and cultural heritage through the fabrics, patterns, and personal histories of their makers.

Routed West: Twentieth-Century African American Quilts in California is the companion book to an important traveling museum exhibition exploring the history and artistry of African American quiltmaking in California. The exhibition is still traveling -- on view at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., from September 18, 2026, through January 17, 2027.

Published in collaboration with the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA), the book examines how African American quilting traditions traveled west during the Second Great Migration (1940–1970). As families left the American South in search of new opportunities, they brought quilts, treasured textiles, and generations of quiltmaking knowledge with them.

Featuring vibrant photographs of more than 100 quilts by nearly 90 makers, the book reveals an extraordinary range of approaches to color, pattern, and construction. From improvisational piecing and bold geometric compositions to traditional patterns and quilts made with repurposed clothing, these works reflect both individual creativity and shared cultural traditions.

Many of the featured quilts come from the collection of quilt scholar Eli Leon, whose extraordinary collection of nearly 3,000 African American quilts was bequeathed to BAMPFA in 2019.

Accompanying essays by scholars, curators, quilt historians, and artists explore the quilts as works of art, objects of memory, and expressions of community and cultural identity. The book also considers the important role of museums in preserving and interpreting these textile histories.

For quilters, textile enthusiasts, artists, and anyone interested in American craft traditions, Routed West offers a compelling look at the ingenuity and artistic vision of generations of African American quiltmakers.

Book Details

• Features more than 100 quilts by nearly 90 makers

• Includes full-color photography and scholarly essays

• 272 pages