DURHAM -- Marjorie Diggs Freeman was so inspired by Barack Obama during the Democratic National Convention that she immediately began to design a quilt. The fabric artist had not been as moved by any political candidate since John F. Kennedy -- and that was more than four decades ago.

So the 72-year-old retired school principal set out to frame her feelings with a patchwork of red-white-and-blue fabric and hand-stitched stars. That work is part of "Quilts for Obama: Celebrating the Inauguration of our 44th President," an exhibition that will hang through Feb. 1 at the Historical Society of Washington.

The display, with 44 new works from 44 African-American artists, celebrates the historic thread that quilts weave through many families -- with their folksy stories and cherished fabric of years gone by.

One of the quilts in the display, exhibit organizers say, is from Carrie Nelson, the oldest member of Michelle Obama's family.

Sauda Zahra, another Durham resident, also has a quilt in the exhibit.

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