The Quilts of Gee's Bend

Quiltmakers

Throughout much of the twentieth century, making quilts was considered a domestic responsibility for women in Gee's Bend, Alabama. As young girls, many of the women trained or apprenticed in their craft with their mothers, female relatives, or friends; other quilters, however, have been virtually self-taught. Women with large families often made dozens upon dozens of quilts over the course of their lives.

The women consider the process of "piecing" the quilt "top" to be highly personal. In Gee’s Bend, the top—the side that faces up on the bed—is always pieced by a quilter working alone and reflects a singular artistic vision. The subsequent process of “quilting” the quilt—sewing together the completed top, the batting (stuffing), and the back—is sometimes then performed communally, among small groups of women.

Most of the quilters were featured in the book Gee's Bend: The Women And Their Quilts (Tinwood, 2002), where extensive biographical information can be found.

Now showing at the de Young Museum in San Francisco.