ON POINT QUILTER
  • Blog
  • About
  • EQ8 Training
    • Tech Know Quilters Electric Quilt 8 Membership Training
    • EQ8 Made Easy
    • Electric Quilt 8 Sneak Peek
  • Store
  • Contact
Picture

Gees Bend-like Quilts

8/18/2018

 
Have you heard of the Gees Bend quilts and their quilt makers?  Many of the leaders in the Modern Quilt movement, have considered their quilts a significant  influence on their work. 

Did you know that you can create a Gees Bend-like quilt using Electric Quilt?   Check out the latest designs from those in the Tech Know Quitlers EQ8 Membership Studio.
Gees Bend Background
 
Information from:
http://www.soulsgrowndeep.org/gees-bend-quiltmakers
 
 “The women of Gee’s Bend—a small, remote, black community in Alabama—have created hundreds of quilt masterpieces dating from the early twentieth century to the present. Resembling an inland island, Gee’s Bend is surrounded on three sides by the Alabama River. The seven hundred or so inhabitants of this small, rural community are mostly descendants of slaves, and for generations they worked the fields belonging to the local Pettway plantation. Quilt makers there have produced countless patchwork masterpieces beginning as far back as the mid-nineteenth century, with the oldest existing examples dating from the 1920s. Enlivened by a visual imagination that extends the expressive boundaries of the quilt genre, these astounding creations constitute a crucial chapter in the history of African American art.
 
Gee’s Bend quilts carry forward an old and proud tradition of textiles made for home and family. They represent only a part of the rich body of African American quilts. But they are in a league by themselves. Few other places can boast the extent of Gee’s Bend’s artistic achievement, the result of both geographical isolation and an unusual degree of cultural continuity. In few places elsewhere have works been found by three and sometimes four generations of women in the same family, or works that bear witness to visual conversations among community quilting groups and lineages. Gee’s Bend’s art also stands out for its flair—quilts composed boldly and improvisationally, in geometries that transform recycled work clothes and dresses, feed sacks, and fabric remnants.”

Tech Know Quilter's Gees Bend-like Quilts

The Tech Know Quilters in the Modern Quilt class were challenged to create their own quilt in the spirit of Gees Bend using Electric Quilt.  I think after looking at the quilts you will agree that they did an amazing job.
Picture
Adrienne Quinlan North Star (inspired by quilt created by Magdalene Wilson)
Picture
Adrienne Qunlan inspired by Nettie Young's fragmented star quilt. Adrienne noted that she used the bold colours found in some of the other quilts. Nettie's stars were very curved but she prefer the clean lines.
Picture
Angie Moreno
Picture
Cheryl Armstrong
Picture
Cheryl Johnson Milky Way
Picture
Cheryl Johnson's Inspiration quilt
Picture
Darcey Feltz
Picture
Diane Coble Some of the things that fascinate me in Gees Bend quilts: Wavy seams? Not a problem; Add lots of vibrant colors. Include some pieced blocks if you want, but also add large blocks of color; Bars are a quick way to get the quilt done . . . and lots more! I have always loved these quilts and enjoyed trying to come up with something in the style of but not identical to any of the quilts!
Picture
Doreen Novak
Picture
Doreen Novak
Picture
Dotty Smalley (inspired by Lucy Witherspoon's Housetop quilt)
Picture
Dotty Smalley (inspired by Qunnie Pettway's Bricklayer quilt)
Picture
Dotty Smalley I was inspired by the book "Gee's Bend The Architecture of the Quilt" [Tinwood Books - Atlanta - 2006] that my younger daughter gave me a while ago. This one was inspired by America Irby's Center Medallion.
Picture
Holly Wilson
Picture
Inger Blood
Picture
Inger Blood
Picture
Isabel Girard - inspired by Work Cloth
Picture
Janet Kirby
Picture
Joanie Hoffman
Picture
Joanne Scharn inspired by Mary Lee Bendoff's 2005 quilt
Picture
Joni Gold It made me realize that even in the craziness of all the strips in a Gee's Bend quilt, and with no tools other than a needle, thread and some fabric strips, there is such great beauty!
Picture
Joy Heglund inspired by Nettie Young the H variation minus the H
Picture
Joyce Brenton - I tried to duplicate the Gee’s Bend quilt of Mary Spencer because it really looked like something she made from pieces of clothing with no real pattern. Also she is about my age and has my mother’s name.
Picture
Joyce Brenton - inspired by Nettie Young
Picture
Joyce Drenth - use it up wear it out make it do or do without
Picture
Joyce Obodiak
Picture
Judy Good
Picture
Judy Good
Picture
Julie Haynie
Picture
Julie Pedersen
Picture
Julie Pedersen
Picture
Karin Pope
Picture
Kathy Autry
Picture
Kathy Delaney
Picture
Kathy Delaney
Picture
Kathy Delaney
Picture
Kathy Delaney
Picture
Kim Ratchford
Picture
Kristin Johnson Conant inspired by Sue Willie Seltzer's Housetop quilt
Picture
Kristin Johnson Conant inspired by Mary Lee Bendolph's Mamas Song
Picture
Mary Lee Bendolph's Mamas Song
Picture
Kristy Goodin Soard
Picture
Laura Waskiewicz Sapko
Picture
Laura Waskiewicz Sapko
Picture
Lynette Lloyd Wilson
Picture
Mandy Mitchell
Picture
Mandy Mitchell
Picture
Mandy Mitchell
Picture
Marguerite Schrader
Picture
Marguerite Schrader A friend has asked me to make her a quilt using Southwestern colors and some horse-themed fabric she had purchased. I decided to "fusion" that with the Gee's Bend challenge.
Picture
Marietta Beckham
Picture
Marietta Beckham
Picture
Maureen Barber
Picture
Mary Montayne
Picture
Mary Montayne's Inspiration Quilt
Picture
Micheline Herzan
Picture
Micheline Herzan
Picture
Nancy Witte
Picture
Nicola Manton
Picture
Pat Harkins (Nellie Mae Abrams Diamond Variation inspired)
Picture
Pat Harkins variation from Rosemary Beeler
Picture
Paula Micelli
Picture
Paula Micelli
Picture
Reed Johnson inspired by Ruth Pettway Mosely Star Quilt
Picture
Rosemary Beeler
Picture
Sarah Bennett
Picture
Sarah Bennett
Picture
Shann Wheaton
Picture
Shann Wheaton
Picture
Sharon Berman I decided to try this in the feedsack cloth as these quilts remind me of that style that was made out of necessity as opposed to "art".
Picture
Sharon Osborne inspired by Housetop by Lola Pettway 1975
Picture
Original quilt by Lola Pettway 1975
Picture
Susan Sorensen inspired by Mary Lee Bendolph
Picture
Valerie Higgins
Picture
Virginia Guarldi inspired by Gloria Hopkins
Picture
Xing Whale

Tech Know Quilters Modern Quilts Class

Would you like to learn how to create your own modern quilts?  
Picture
The class may be purchased as a stand-alone class in my store for $125. 

If you are currently in Tech Know Quilters and want to take this class next month as an add-on to your current class, please send me a note and I will get you a discount coupon.

Picture
Happy quilting.

​Kari

​Sign up for my newsletter to stay current on what's happening in my studio and learn more quilting tips.  As a thank you, I'll send you a FREE pattern for this small maple leaf quilt.
Picture
Giuliana Nakashima
8/18/2018 09:23:14 am

lovely job by all, but ... inquiring minds want to know: how do you draw and draft the wavy lines? That is something so charming about the Gees Bend quilts. Thanks for sharing all!

Sandra Johnson
8/18/2018 12:29:51 pm

Wow, these are beautiful and very creative. Loved seeing them.

Cathy Coyer
8/18/2018 03:35:47 pm

How clever and talented your Gee's Bend quilters are. So much variety and color, nicely done quilters!

Jan Beckert
8/23/2018 07:27:34 am

I'm wondering about the wavy lines, too! How do you do this?


Comments are closed.
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Free guide available for newsletter subscribers
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Kari Schell

    Electric Quilt Expert and Educator and Pattern Designer.

    Categories

    All
    Art And Stitch
    Cricut Maker
    Dear Jane
    Electric Quilt 7
    Electric Quilt 8
    Goose Goose Duck Challenge
    Inkscape
    Patterns
    Silhouette Cameo
    Stampin Up
    Tips And Techniques
    Tools And Rulers

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013

    RSS Feed

Contact:
On Point Quilter
e-mail:  [email protected]
phone:  763-566-6536

GET MY NEWSLETTER FOR REGULAR EQ AWESOMENESS!

* indicates required
  • Blog
  • About
  • EQ8 Training
    • Tech Know Quilters Electric Quilt 8 Membership Training
    • EQ8 Made Easy
    • Electric Quilt 8 Sneak Peek
  • Store
  • Contact