Gee's Bend
On the heels of getting back from retreat- I took a bus trip with fellow quilters last Sunday up to Tacoma ,WA to check out the Gee's Bend exhibit. No photos were allowed so I can only link to the museum where it is currently on display until December 9th- if you live anywhere close- go check it out! Seeing those quilts up close was amazing. I noted the freeform Baptist fan quilting on one piece by Lucy Mingo-blocks and strips work clothes. In fact, many, many of the quilts were hand quilted with that style-and often the "thread" looked like thin string..some knots on the top even. I bought the huge book, Gee's Bend The Architecture of the Quilt...it must weigh three pounds alone. It was great to see so many quilts in the book that I had just seen in person! I plan on going back up another time with my sweetie- plus, December 18 through February 17, 2008 there will be another worthwhile show called, Threads that Bind: Works by Pacific Northwest African American Quilters - won't that be a great follow up to Gee's Bend?
Sadly the tour guides that gave us a "special" talk were not quilters and could only repeat a bit of what one of the Gee's Bend quilters, Mary Lee Bendolph had said when she was visiting the museum to promote the exhibit.
*** life is over the top warp speed crazy right now, so though I have a few more posts in my mind, they will just have to wait a while****
Quilt when you can!
Labels: Gee's Bend show
posted by Cher @ 8:07 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Lucky, lucky you! Having that show be so close. The nearest it came to me was Chicago...a bit too far.
They are spectacular maverick, do your own thing quilts...glad you got to see them. That's what quilting is really all about. WOnderful that you will get to go again. I have the book, borrowed from Betsy, and yes, it does weigh at least 3 pounds. I have to read it sitting at a table, can't support the weight of it othewise..LOL Take care, Hugs, Finn
Wow! How terrific that you got to see some Gee's quilts! I've seen the book on Amazon. Do I need to *invest* in it?!?
that's coming here next year- and the museum is only a teensy distance from my office. I sense many trips in my future! I rec'd the book as a gift last year, and adore it. How lucky you got to see the quilts in person!
Warp speed, huh? Don't know if I will be able to catch you this weekend or not then. I'm off to the Gadsden show in a bit though I won't be seeing Gee's Bend type quilts like you did last weekend.
I have seen some a lot like it though around here--that old make do with what you have and improvised patterns. Gee's Bend is clear on the opposite of the state from me and I have yet to actually see the quilts everyone is raving about.
ooh, you are so lucky. I'm so happy for you that you got to go see those quilts.
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