Project #1 - The Quilts of Gee's Bend

Materials Needed - Scissors, glue and colorful paper (I used old calendars that my Dad gave me. You could also use magazines, old cards, junk mail, construction paper or even old Wednesday folder notes.)

Making - 
1.  Look for two or more different pieces of paper with colors that you like and think go well together. 
2.  Choose one sheet to be your background. 
3.  Cut the rest into different smaller pieces and compose your design. 
4.  When you are happy with how it looks, glue your pieces down.
(The collage I made is on the left, with orange stripes and green squares. It was fun to make!)


Inspiration - This first project is inspired by the quilts made by the women who live in Gee's Bend, a small rural community in Alabama. About 700 people live on land that is surrounded on three sides by the Alabama River. Most of the people who live there are agricultural workers and their ancestors were enslaved on nearby plantations.

Because of their geographic isolation and limited resources, the women of Gee's Bend became very skilled at using the materials around them in creative ways. For more than 150 years, they have shared the tradition of making uniquely beautiful quilts out of old or stained work clothes, jeans, shirts, aprons and dresses. Often the quilts are designed with geometric patterns that resemble modern abstract paintings.

You can find out more at this website - https://www.soulsgrowndeep.org/gees-bend-quiltmakers. The quilt on the right was made by Lucy Mooney, and the one below was made by Mary L. Bennett.

Personal Note - I thought about the quilts of Gee's Bend last night when I started to crochet this blanket using only balls of yarn left over from past projects. I didn't want to leave the house to go buy new yarn, and it feels good to use up what is around me.