Fabric

Gees Bend Quilt Inspiration

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A few years ago I saw a documentary about the quilts of Gee’s Bend on my local PBS station. Gee’s Bend is a an isolated hamlet in Alabama.

By Andre Natta (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

The quilting tradition goes back many generations in this area, and the quilts are amazing works of art. These women, with very little money or education, created some of the most unique and important African American visual and cultural contributions to the history of art within the United States.

Pieced_Quilt,_c._1979_by_Lucy_Mingo,_Gee's_Bend,_Alabama

“Pieced Quilt, c. 1979 by Lucy Mingo, Gee’s Bend, Alabama” by Billvolckening – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org

gees bend quilt 2

Annie Bendolph, 1900-1981, “One Patch,” ca. 1960, cotton, 78 x 70 inches q103-10b.JPG http://www.auburn.edu/academic/other/geesbend/explore/catalog/slideshow/pages/q103-10b_JPG.htm

The quilts have been shown in the finest museums in our country. I’d love to see one of these exhibits someday.

Recently I found a few baby quilts in a thrift store. They reminded me so much of the quilts in the documentary. Of course, I purchased them and lovingly washed and pressed them. I really wanted to keep them but I don’t have any place to display them, so I decided to sell them in my Etsy Store, http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheBohemianSprout, which is finally open. They’ll be available in the next few days. I still want to stare at them for a while before I part with them.

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This little vintage quilt is 38 inches x 34 inches and has no batting, which makes it perfect for the southwest where I live.

This lovely lavender 33 inch x 33 inch quilt is just heaven. I the turquoise stripe makes me smile every time I see it!

This lovely lavender 34 inch x 30 inch quilt is just heaven. The turquoise stripe makes me smile every time I see it!

I hope you have a wonderfully artistic and colorful day!

Fabric Rescue

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I like to think of myself as a rescuer of fabric. Bolts and remnants waiting to become something beautiful that little boho girls wear in the course of their lives. Twirling, catching frogs, reading books, and hugging their mommies. Fabrics that breathe and move and metamorphose, just like the wearer.

I had a great day rescuing fabric today. I spent the afternoon with my sister and her husband moseying through antique stores. I love finding vintage and antique fabrics in these places. I always wonder what the original owner intended to make with it and if somehow it will become that very thing.

I found this wonderful remnant of fabric with the prettiest little green peacocks on it.

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My sister found this fantastic bolt of mid-century modern fabric that I’m in love with. She’s got a great eye and I wish she lived closer so we could do this more often. 8 ½ luxurious yards of it! Every detail is just perfection!

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And then I came across this exotic piece of fabric from Indonesia. It’s a beautiful batik by Danar Hadi with birds and flowers on it.

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What do you think they should become? Rompers? Skirts? Flutter sleeve dresses? Should I add some antique lace or leather braids? So much fabric… so little time!!!!