Last Wednesday I got to take a workshop with the Quilter's of Gee's Bend, an amazing experience. The ladies started it off with a round of singing. I love what the floor says (we were in the high school gym).
Freddie and Gwen came to the workshop and showed off a quilt that they did in the Gee's Bend style.
I got started immediately. We had only two hours after all. I had brought some old clothes from Ryan, Chloe and Mark. I've never used old clothes for a quilt before. It was kind of fun just cutting up the denim into usable parts. I was working with Loretta Bennett at first. She was kind of shy and I never got a photo of her on her own, but she was really sweet. Later I was working with Revil Mosely and she was just wonderful. I did get chided part way through for using my rotary cutter. Scissors were barely used. It was mostly ripping the fabric.
It was Loretta's idea to put that strip of lime green in the center. By the end of the two hours I had most of a quilt top done. I went home and added the final round of denim strips before the Gee's Bend lecture the next day. I brought the top to the lecture so I could show Revil how it had turned out. She seemed to really like it. What an amazing experience. If you ever had the opportunity to meet these ladies, get there asap!
I plan to hand quilt this in the coming months. I love that the ladies were so eager to sign it. I got a book too and got that signed as well, but I think this is one quilt that won't ever be washed! I also got some photos of their quilts at the quilt show. Photos on that to come later. I'm still recovering from the last couple of weeks. It's been exhilerating and exhausting all at once.