I’m so fortunate to have a job that I truly enjoy. With the radio station being located on a University campus I get the opportunity to see some wonderful things. The NPR station where I work is located right between the Music Department and the Art Department. You can imagine how much fun that is… especially when those two things are such a huge part of my life. It’s never boring… always inspiring.
The Museum on campus has some really amazing exhibits pass through and I’m always eager to check them out. The National Quilt exhibit was just about to come down so I dashed into the museum to get a peek. It was pretty great because it was the end of the day and I was the ONLY one in the museum. WHAT FUN! I snapped a few shots with my iPhone and enjoyed these amazing quilts. Truly works of art.
It’s hard to believe as you stand there looking at these pieces that they’re actually quilts. You’d almost swear they were painted canvas…. until you get up close and see the fibers and stitching. Amazing.
My interest in viewing this exhibit comes from my love and desire to make a quilt of my own. It’s something I truly want to do before I kick the bucket.
I remember when Richie and I got married and we had NOTHING. Everything in our home was given to us, stolen out of our parents cabinets, or brought from our childhood. One thing Richie always had on his bed was his grandmother’s quilt. It was faded and worn, yet colorful and full of life. It was a blanket we fought over when we wanted to curl up in front of the TV. It was the softest quilt I’d ever touched. I guess years of love will do that to fabric. And we did love it.
As the years went by the quilt began to tear and slowly disintegrate in front of our eyes. To be honest I’m not sure where it went… but I think his mother took it and stored it for sentimental reasons. I have always felt the desire to make my own… but with a modern twist. How the heck do you do that? Was it even possible to pull that off?
Years went by and because of our love of art and the many chances we got to see amazing exhibits come through the City of Houston we learned of the beautiful quilts of Gee’s Bend. Richie and I were so taken by these works and the story behind them has made such an impression on both of us. Many years ago we bought this book and I wanted to share these images.
For me a quilt was something your grandmother made with very traditional/country patterns. But today I now know just how modern and “artsy” a quilt can be. If you’ve already seen these images and you know about the Gee’s Bend quilts then you know for yourself how special they are. If not, then you’ll certainly appreciate what they are, who made them, how and why. They always blow me away.
In 2002, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas, presented an exhibition of 70 quilts from Gee’s Bend, Alabama. The story goes that art collector William Arnett came across a photograph of one of the quilts while working on a history of African American vernacular art. He set out to find the quilt, and its maker, and arrived in Gee’s Bend.
Without going into the entire story behind this… it all boils down to a group of amazing African-American women living in “Gee’s Bend”, an area surrounded on three sides by water and located in a bend of the Alabama River. The area is only accessible by ferry. Without much, if any connection to the “outside” wold…at least not like you and I have, these women used what they had available, including the clothes of spouses who had passed on, and made these amazing quilts. These women had never seen modern or abstract art and knew nothing about the art world, yet they assembled from their hearts and minds, these amazing works of art that the New York Times has said “are the most most miraculous works of modern art America has produced”.
I couldn’t agree more. Someday I hope to be inspired enough to create something this beautiful for my modern home.
“I made all my quilts out of old shirts and dress tails and britches legs… Some people would give me old clothes, and some of them my children couldn’t wear, and I would tear them up and make quilts. I didn’t think I was too good at cutting out. If I could have got with friends to get me on the right track, maybe. But I didn’t have friends, so I had to piece up things the way I could see to do.”
– Loretta Pettaway
I used to work all day and when night come I was sick all night. I couldn’t sleep and I didn’t have no appetite to eat, but I can thank the Lord now and say that he has reached way down and picked me up, made my life better. I have food, money, a roof over my head, my health and strength…”
—Loretta Pettway
This is just a sample of the amazing Gee’s Bend quilts. They’ve become so popular that retailers are now selling “Gees Bend Quilt Kits” for quilters to make their own version.
The pictures featured here were taken from my Gee’s Bend Book but you can see more amazing photos on google. LOOK HERE.
I suppose one of the reasons I’m so drawn to these is because of their imperfections. The lines are not straight, the stitches are not perfect and none of them are perfectly square. They are not over thought and I’m certain their techniques were never questioned or fussed about. They were made with love and in my opinion the skill of a master. It gives me hope that I can someday do this and not worry about the perfection of each corner, stitch or block, but appreciate the beauty of the overall project. Or maybe I’m fooling myself …. it’s not that easy… and these ladies were special. I’m still inspired for “someday”.
There’s no doubt that the cold, rainy, dreary weather here in Texas has made me think of these quilts. I’d love to wrap myself in art and warm up with a cup of hot chocolate. It’s been one of those winters.
I love those quilts! So amazing. I too used to have a quilt I think my great-grandmother made out of scraps of clothing and it was perfect – not too hot in the summer and so cozy in the winter. It too started to unravel from use and so we put it up. Check out Denyse Schmidt for other modern quilting ideas. Too bad you’re all the way in Texas or we could start up a new-fangled quilting club. Cheers – CT
Thanks CT! Denyse has some wonderful quilts. I appreciate that link, as I don’t always dig as deep as I should. There’s so much amazing work out there!
Wouldn’t it be so fun to have a little mod quilting club. OMG, I can only imagine what we’d come up with.
I do love the fact that the Gee’s quilts are made from clothing scraps… stained and worn. It adds such character to the quilt and the person who uses it gets to think about or remember the person who wore those clothes.
Unfortunately if I did that my quilt would be covered in paint and stain from this house. Everything I own has paint on it… it seems.
First… I’m totally jealous that you work in such a great location. I’ve been visiting different exhibits and galleries a lot more in the last year (something I haven’t done since my pre-marriage days) and to have them practically coming to you is such a treat. Daily inspiration… so cool!!
Secondly… these Gee Bend Quilts are amazing!! The patterns are incredible and I kinda dig the imperfections. It’s inspiring to let go and just freely create something. Definitely a skill to aspire to.
Third… I know it’s a typo, but the fact that Richie has always had his “grandmother’s guilt” on his bed makes for some funny reading. ;)
lol to #3. danielle, i didn’t even pick up on that. what would therapy say?! ha.
Thanks Danielle. I do love being on a University campus. I’m surrounded by young people filled with so many ideas, hopes, and dreams. It sounds cheesy but it does make you feel young to be in the middle of it all. When it’s a sunny afternoon I can walk out of my building and the entire marching band drummers are out on the lawn just JAMMIN’! You can’t help put boogie down the sidewalk to your car. I’m sure I’ve made a complete and total fool of myself from time to time. Those drum beats get me MOVIN’! It’s fun. On the other side of the lawn are students laid out painting under trees. I’ll pass by them and see their work coming to life right before me.
I swear I’d love to have that kind of talent.
I feel like those quilts (not guilts) represent everything I’m not but wish I could be. I hate that I strive for perfection when I’m creating something. It’s so irritating because most of what I truly love is always so imperfect and beautiful. I need to learn but I can’t get past it. Looking at these always reminds me that I should. They’re so modern and beautiful!
HA HA HA HA! Yes, I type way too fast for my own good. I’m sure there was plenty of grandma guilt…. but that’s for another post. (you’re hilarious!)
wish i could see a photo of richie’s old quilt! i, too, love a good quilt and the quilts you pictured are stunning (i love the color choices in the first bunch). my favorite of the lot is the red and white circle pattern. i love it because it’s (as you said) not perfect (plus the colors and “anti” pattern of the floral fabric is just fabulous). i sure could use one right now, too, i’m chilly!!!!!!!
i love these stacey! and how fun you work at a place that you get to absorb art in so many ways throughout your day. no wonder you always seem peppy and alive! :D
Hey girl. I know, I know, I wish I could find his grandma’s quilt too. I’m pretty sure it must be at his parents house somewhere. We wore the hell out of that sucker. It was literally falling apart. Man we loved that thing. It was most red with very traditional triangle patches. I had never thought about a quilt being “modern” until I saw the Gee’s Bend quilts. Now I’m sort of obsessed with having one, one day. It’s something I really want to do (in all my spare time. HA!)
You could really use a little warmth right now… it’s been pretty damn cold where you are. Hasn’t it gone down into the 30’s? Crazy!
I like the red and white circle one too. So fab! Glad you liked this. I never know what people will think about the stuff I’m goo goo over. It’s fun to share it all anyway. Thanks, Tamara!
I had the amazing fortune to work on a quilt with some of the women from Gee’s Bend. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I would love to find a quilting bee in the area, but I never have. I really want to make a quilt again.
SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! WHAT? Did you really? What a story that must be. How in the heck did you get to do that? I would think it would most definitely be a highlight in the life of Jessica. It would be for me, for sure!
So you’ve made a quilt before? Do you have any pictures? Oh goodness, that’s just so exciting. Thanks for sharing that. I’d love to hear the whole story some time. You should do a post about it!!!
I used to teach in a school in Chicago and the art teacher arranged for the students to make a quilt for an art show at the Field Museum with the women of Gee’s Bend. It was a volunteer project and in the end there were about five students and three teachers that worked on it. The last weekend, the women from Gee’s Bend came to the school and helped us do the quilting, so we sat with them for hours on end, and they told us stories while everyone sewed. It was a religious experience. The pictures are trapped on my old computer. I need to find someone to get them off. I promise you that someday I will do a post with the whole story.
That is so fantastic, Jessica. Lucky you… And yes, you should definitely try to rescue those pictures.
I for one would thoroughly enjoy seeing them. Thanks for sharing that… I loved it.
so beautiful!
This reminds me of my grandmother’s less than perfect quilts. She used a lot scrap material- no fat quarters or quilt patterns for her. She also used to use a heavy cotton fibre batting rather than modern polyester batting. Her quilts were so heavy that we’d joke that you had to be ready to sleep and not move once it was dropped over you. My gram’s quilts weren’t works of art but they were appreciated, for sure.
thanks for sharing the quilts of Gee’s Bend.
Oh Cindy, I know exactly how heavy that sucker probably was. I can almost feel the weight of it on me. AWESOME! Really I think anyone that creates a quilt, of any kind, is definitely making art. The amount of time, energy, and love that someone has to put in a piece like that is overwhelming to me. I’m one of those “lets make this in 15 minutes or less” kind of girls or else I get really frustrated. That’s probably why I think I’ll have to wait until I’m a little older so I can calm the hell down and gain some more patience. It think you probably need more than I have to do this. I’m inspired and willing… so I guess that’s half the battle.
Glad you like them… they’re pretty freakin’ awesome!
You Austin-ites have ALL the good stuff!! SO beautiful!! The quilts from Gee’s Bend always remind me of something halfway between Picasso and folk art… such an unusual combination.
Like everyone else, your post immediately reminded of my great-grandmother’s quilts. My favorite of all of them was on my bed as a kid, and I stuck a bandaid over one of the small tears. (Ugh, stupid child.) I clearly was not a good steward of something that old! Some of the fabric used was thin, like a poplin, to start with… and was really, really thin by the time I was using it. The bandaid stuck. Like glue. Ripping it off would have torn it. I have no idea what my mom did to fix it, but it got replaced with some hideous pink unicorn/elf spread…
Yes, the grandmas got some serious play on the blog today. Ha! Ha! I guess I’ll probably be an old lady before I make one…. But that might be a prerequisite anyway. Great memories of our soft warm quilts. Good times. I imagine a band aid will probably get used if I ever do attempt to make one. That much sewing and cutting will surely produces some quilt wounds.
Oh how I wish I lived in Austin…. It’s such a cool city. We’ve considered moving there so many times but its so darn expensive. I guess the more there is the more you pay. And Austin is a lot in so many way. It has some awesome modern homes…both old and new. I’ll keep dreamin’.
I don’t know why I thought you lived in Austin… I guess I’m conflating your house and aesthetic with my perception of Austin. Or my own secret desire to live there? Who knows!
oh my! what a treat having a private viewing of the quilt exhibit – they are gorgeous. These photographs of the Gee’s Bend quilts are more than astonishing! To think that the quilter made up these designs from imagination only! so inspiring :)
Hey Diane! I know…. It totally blows my mind that these ladies could do that without any outside influences. Seriously no Pinterest!! Ha! Ha! Which probably means I’ll never be able to make something this cool. I’m way too uptight and would over think it all. They just let the creative juices flow. Beautiful!
Thanks for looking. You’re so close to all the great exhibits. I hope you get to pop by whenever possible. We love to drive over and make a day off it.
Simply stunning Stacey. I have plans to do a quilt one day too [my Nana bucket list, though these are so totally not Nana] I even have old suitcases full of fabrics [my collections know no bounds] Great inspiration as always. Thanks so much for introducing me to them. Just got to get off the internet and get out the scissors. Hard when looking is so much fun. Awesome post. Cheers
I really like how you wrote that they’re not perfect and the lines aren’t straight and that’s what makes them so wonderful. I am a huge believer in gifts from the heart and your post couldn’t be more well timed for my soul this week.
I was going over all the ‘pins’ around and I kept thinking my stuff will never look that good and I feel so disorganized this month. And you need to step back and realize that it’s not about that. It’s about doing something that you love with what you’ve got and not about making the ‘best’ of the best. Because those gifts and items are the ones that we treasure the most. A child’s artwork. An old photograph ripping at the edges. A grandmothers quilt.
I don’t have a quilt but I have a childhood blanket. It is so ugly. Bright yellow fleece with these creepy horror movie bunnies on it. And yet it’s in my living room with the rest of my blankets and it just fits somehow even with the red accent colour scheme.
I hope you get to make one one day. I would love to see your creative vision come out.
These quilts are gorgeous – I didn’t know anything about them, so thanks for sharing.
My mother has a quilt she was given for her wedding – it is pretty beat up but I hope to get it restored one day. It’s got lots of teeny tiny squares from scrap fabric and one of them has a mouse on it – as a kid I always looked for that little mouse :)
I look fwd to seeing YOUR modern quilt when you get it done! :)
I accidentally ran across pictures of the Gee’s Bend quilts a few months ago and was totally blown away by them. My grandmother was a quilter (of the State Fair of Texas blue ribbon variety), and I’ve always said I’d love to learn.
I still have one that she and my mother made during World War II. They appliqued and embroidered all the state flowers…when there were only 48 states.
Hi Stacey! Thanks for stopping by. I am commenting here as the comments to your previous post were closed. ?? I laughed when you said your bucket list was to make a quilt. There is a quilt store near us that I wander through thinking I could do it. Then I wonder where would I put in our house a sewing machine and all the stuff??? I think I got secretly inspired on my layout by your blog. I really like it and can see that I was sort of headed there. Thanks for the offer on WordPress. I may just take you up on that when I bite the bullet. I don’t have all the freedom I want yet, but can eek it out. I’ll stop by here more often! :)
Hey Rebecca! I know what you mean about the sewing and all the space it takes up. It’s hard and I always envy people who have these awesome craft and sewing rooms. I have to find a place eventually. I do love to sew!
It would be my pleasure to help anytime you need it. I help lots of people make the switch and I do sites for other people. It’s fun. WordPress has some pretty amazing features and functions but honestly your blog is wonderful and so beautiful just as it is. Congrats on the new look.