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find food and water and places to rest, the pattern could be used in any quilt giving the maker a certain amount of flexibility in making this pattern.
NORTH STAR: Prepare to escape and follow the North Star to Canada, which was the direction that the Underground Railway took.
MONKEY WRENCH: Gather your tools and prepare for a long journey.
DRUNKARD'S PATH: A warning sign that slave catchers are in the area, and it would be advisable to take a winding route, South being a good option as they wouldn't be suspected of being runaway slaves.

CROSSROADS: A symbol referring to Cleveland, Ohio, which was the main crossroads with several routes to freedom. On a more symbolic level, the term "crossroads" also means reaching a turning point in one's life, where an important, life changing choice must be made to continue with a journey.
SHOOFLY: A symbol that possibly identifies a person who can guide and help; a person who helped slaves escape along the Underground Railroad and who knew the codes.
BOW TIES: A symbol indicating the escaping slave needed to dress as a free person, basically to disguise themselves as a free man meaning that capture wouldn't be quite so high risk.
LOG CABIN: A symbol in a quilt or that could be drawn on the ground indicating it was necessary to seek shelter or that a person is safe to speak with and seek shelter with. Some sources say it indicated a safe house along the Underground Railroad.
BEAR'S PAW: Follow a mountain trail, out of view, and then follow an actual bear's trail which would lead to water and food.
DOUBLE WEDDING RINGS: This pattern did not exist until after the American Civil War. However, the Double Irish Chain pattern did and is believed to have symbolized the chains of slavery. When a slave saw this quilt displayed, it meant the rings or shackles of slavery could be removed. When marrying, slaves did not exchange wedding rings; they "jumped the broom".

From this it is quite obvious that if the freedom quilts did exist then they had very elaborate patterns, and the code was complex and well thought out. All of the codes are decorative and wouldn't be thought of anything else but an ordinary quilt that has been hung out.

===Criticism===
There is however a great deal of criticism on the ideas of freedom quilts and a large amount of speculation about whether they actually exist. Kimberly Wulfert, PhD uses the scenario of: 'Imagine a slave, who remained hidden as much as possible to avoid capture, punishment, or death, running up the

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