I stopped by my friend's house today to pick up a dozen eggs, and she handed me this book.
I'm sure a lot of you quilters out there are already familiar with this collection but I had never seen it before, and I was so blown away I have to recommend this to all artists and quilters everywhere.
The book is about the women quilters of Gee's Bend, a small, black community in Alabama that produced hundreds of stunningly beautiful quilts. They are incredible works of art, abstract and made with pure creativity and recycled materials.
One quilt that really stuck with me is one that a woman made from her husband's work clothes after he died. They quoted the woman who said that she wanted the quilt made from his clothing to "cover up under for love". The quilt was made with practically every stitch of his clothing, stains and all. It was completely un-square. Probably the most beautiful quilt I have ever seen.
It felt good to flip through this book after my little rant about recycling. I don't want to get too political or anything, I know that sweatshops are a touchy subject and it can be really uncomfortable to think about where a lot of the fabric we wear and use comes from.
These women said it all with their quilts. Made with love and made to BE loved, made used and made to be used.
Truly touching.
I heartily agree, Emily. Love your blog!!
ReplyDeletelori
I remember that feeling of being 'blown away' by them and the stories behind them too. Amazing quilts and community. Thank you very much for coming and visiting my blog and taking the time to leave a comment, especially as it's allowed me to discover your blog. Like you, I love using recycled fabric and it's great to find other quilters who feel the same way. There are so many amazing blogs out there that focus on quilting but they almost always use new designer fabrics, and it makes a refreshing change to find one that doesn't!
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