Southern Inspiration

Every few days I check my DVR, I set things to record and forget.  Then when a hand stitching project comes along I catch up on what I've missed.  So last night there was a program about Gee's Bend.  Most of us already know about these gals but for those of you that don't you should do a google search.  Very inspiring bunch of gals.  

 Wouldn't be nice to have this kind of freedom when you quilt.  These ladies don't know the rules and quite frankly they don't care about them.  I know many quilters see these as trash worthy, dog kennel blankets, thrift store rejects or a mechanics blanket.

On the other hand some see it as art.  Many an artist has spend thousands of dollars in schooling to learn to be this creatively free.

 The ladies at Gee's Bend to me have a talent that can only come from with in.  A talent that Paducha could never understand.  However I do see that a lot of modern quilters these days try to imitate.  Improv quilting is a technique that my mind can't grasp.   To say that I'm in awe of these quilts is an understatement.  My mind always asks the silliest question of why did she do that, why that color, why that piece, why didn't she square it up...WHY, WHY, WHY?

These quilts are now selling for tens of thousands of dollars.  You can buy patterns.  Really!  People buy patterns to make wonky quilts, Amazing!

 I see a resemblance to the quilts of Siddi(shown below).  The only difference is Siddi quilts are pieced by laying one piece at a time on top of your backing and wadding then stitch down that one piece, then another, and another....where we stitch all of the pieces together and then layer it to be quilted.

So are they excellent quilters?  As the old saying goes "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"  To me they are STUNNING!   So the next time a quilt comes out a little less than perfect remember that someday it could be in an art gallery!

Until next time "Quilt out of your Comfort Zone!"

Lea

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