Gee’s Bend Quilts
Gee’s Bend Quilts have a long history, continued by a group of women today. The mothers developed a style of quilt making which has been passed on through the generations. These women developed an identity for themselves as well as their daughters. It was only recently that this distinct identity was discovered and is being appreciated as a form art.
Quilts are both a created, flexible physical object and an image. The shape of the quilts, the irregularity of their edges and the waviness of their surface are the products of their manufacture . Their use creates an aura of orientation and the t wo-dimension quilts can be draped or flat.
Gee’s Bend quilts have been passed down four generations. There are some quilts that were crafted in the 1930s. There are older pieces of Gees Bend quilts that have been worn out and stained because of use. This makes it evident that the primary function on quilts back then wasnt for artistic reasons. The blankets were stitched from scrap material, every quilt a mishmash of patterns and colors.
Back in the 1930s women never wasted even the smallest piece of fabric, it was quit interesting to see how they incorporated oddly shaped materials into something appealing and pleasant to look at. Quilts are basically made out of fabrics that have been stored for 20 years before they are put to use. Gee’s Bend quilts are as intriguing as a stamp of the times in which it was created.
In 2003, the living quilters of Gees Bend and Tinwood organizations founded the Gees Bend Quilters Collective. This was formed for serving as an exclusive way of marketing and selling the quilts produced by the women of the Bend. This Collective is operated and owned by the women of Gees Bend. A Gees Bend quilt sold by the Collective is individually produced, authentic and unique. All quilts are labeled with a serial number and signed by the quilter.
Gee’s Bend quilt serve as a visual display of the role of quilting in American society. It takes on traditional patterns and flashy colors that highlight the beauty of quilts more than their purpose.
