She was a slave and made quilts for the plantation owners as part of her duties as a house girl. Ringgold is a pioneer in using quilts as a high art form. She has worked very hard in the art world to become a recognized artist. Another reason for Ringgold's use of the quilt is because it is easier and more compact for shipment. Ringgold had the opportunity to show her work provided she could ship it easily.
Stretched canvases used by other artists have to packaged, leading to more expensive shipping costs.
So to make her work more versatile in the art world, Ringgold used quilts as her medium and with the help of her mother they made patchwork frames to surround her story quilts. The idea of framing her works in cloth came after visiting Amsterdam, Holland, were she saw several Tibetan Tankas, which are paintings that are framed in cloth. Eventually, Ringgold got a lot of exhibitions and lectures for which she was paid. She then decided to write stories and put them on her paintings. She became a full-time artist and got an audience all over the country.