Lolita Newman’s ancestral search to find her family connection with slavery moved her to create heirlooms linking her past to the present. Her Freedom Gone quilts are rich in color and history. They depict slavery during our Civil War years, using images in black thread. Here are seven quilts and six projects, each bring past stories to the present. She hopes that these depictions warm your heart and stir your soul. Lolita has been sewing for more than 20 years. Eleven of those years have been spent quilting and teaching. She is a self-taught quilter and embroiderer. She lives in southern California with her husband and two children, and she also finds time to knit, crochet and bake. stitchinbytheriver.blogspot.com