Gees Bend Quilts

I have just spent the last couple of hours watching youtube video's about Gees Bend quilters and their history.

Wow!  I truly connected with their approach and use of all fabrics they came across, with no plan in sight except to use what they had.  Clothing, bits of fabric found along the road from God knows where, all used to create quilts that began as simply a means to keep themselves and their families warm.

And to this day, they still quilt in that way.  It seems to start as a simple thought, and builds to a finished quilt based on the fabrics they have at hand.  It's just amazing to look at these quilts and know that every piece is placed based on what they see in their minds eye.  

They are not concerned with perfection or even balance as we 'modern' day quilters are.  We get caught up in following someone else's pattern and are dismayed if it doesn't achieve perfection.  We are so very, very wrong in our approach.

I've always had a penchant for throwing no piece of fabric that could be used in even the smallest way, their use of fabric by happenstance so appealed to me!

But their skill level is way beyond my mental meanderings.  I don't have their gift to create in the mind and then put it to a physical use as they do.  I found myself looking at their quilts and trying to 'figure out' what plan they used.  As a result, I struggled to appreciate that their plan wasn't a plan at all.  It's what moves them to put a piece of fabric here or there and in the end they have created something so unique and so beautiful!

It's horrible to realize that today's quilting has become so structured, so binding in the approach that we can't freely create as they do.

I want to figure out how to deprogram my process of quilting.  I don't know where to begin but, begin I will.  

They mostly use hand sewing.  They hand sew pieces of fabric together, then they hand quilt it all.  Some do piece with old machines, but still hand stitch the quilting.
Those of you that know me, know that picking up a needle causes me to shudder at the thought!  So hand quilting won't be part of my quest at all.

But it's the overall mental process I admire the most.  The innate ability to create from their mind, totally freeform in their approach that has me spellbound!  

It seems some of their quilts came about by simply looking at the world around them, their own community.  Buildings, night skies, water, fields, even the newspaper covered walls of some of their homes from childhood.  The patterns resemble some of that structure found around them.  How they interpret it into pieces of fabric is truly unique and can't be copied.  Nothing can duplicate what they create as each one is so particular to that person and their thoughts.

Can you imagine the joy of creating a quilt that is totally our of your own mind, your interpretation of whatever it is that motivates you to lay pieces of fabric together to represent that?  

That is what the women, generations of women, of Gees Bend Alabama have done for decades.  And the skill of making these quilts, the physical requirements, are handed down one generation to another.  The creations however, are as unique as each person who makes them.  That isn't something that can be taught, but seen and felt and generated in a way that only that person can do.

When I think I've made a pretty quilt, I'm basing that on how close to the 'pattern' the person who created it envisioned.  And while it is a creative process it is only conforming to someone else's creation.  It is so far removed from what the women of Gees Bend do. 

I don't include photos of these quilts as they are each unique and too many to add.  My hope is that you will find the youtube videos simply by typing in the search on youtube for "Gees Bend quilts" and spend some time listening and watching to hear and see their history. 

There can be little doubt that they will inspire you in ways you can't fathom.  I certainly never expected to be so moved by their history and their talents.  Found myself laughing with them and crying with them and felt connected in ways that were unimagined. 

To me, they are simply the purest and truest form of what I would define as a quilter you would ever find, anywhere. Ever. 

UPCYCLED BLUE JEANS
~nothing goes to waste~

 Having had parents who grew up in the depression and learning through osmosis seeing them recycle and reuse everything, I find I do the same.

Denim is one of those durable fabrics that begs to be reused in some fashion.  And I have spent a lot of time doing just that!  Pillows, coasters, tote bags.  Just about anything that allows me to find form and function and durability - denim fits the bill.  But NOT store bought, no sirree, has to be recycled for me to feel really good about the finished project.

What recycled denim projects have you tackled?  What gives you the most satisfaction from reusing that awesome material?

Below are some photos of items I've made, gifted, sold etc.  

Dahlia Coasters

Drinks on Me

And then I made something on a whim that turned out better than I expected.  It was bits and pieces of leftover jeans from other projects, stitched to a foundation fabric then stretched over a blank canvas for wall art.

So many other items I never took photos of.  But you get the idea.  UPCYCLE those jeans and jean skirts/shirts!  The fun you can have creating beautiful items with things you would normally throw away.

Quilted Postcards ... continue unabated!

There is no end to what you can create.

  So while I try to slow my mind down to go to sleep at night, ideas and things I've seen combine to create a constant thought process that won't shut down.  Anyone who sews, quilts, crafts anything knows how this happens.  It's a curse, and a blessing too.  But boy!  Does it mess with the sleep patterns!

  So I've been playing with another technique of piecing, making landscapes.  I decided to try it on the postcard size first.  First two attempts are ok, but much improvement can be made and I see this as something that will expand over time, WHEN time allows :)

  Below are the photos of the two I did to start.  I'm looking forward to doing different landscape themes as I discover the bits of fabrics that will inspire those.  So much fabric, so little time.  

* please excuse the quality of the photos, I hadn't taken time to set up the right lighting/background.

It's the class that never ends...it just goes on and on my friends.

Over a year ago I started teaching how to do fabric covered corded baskets, coasters, hot pads, table mats, place mats etc.

To say that it has drawn interest would be an understatement!  There is rarely a month goes by where another class is requested, and filled rapidly.  Both private classes and those held in my favorite quilt shop, Sew There Quilts and More in Angier NC.  Currently I have a class set up for March 6th at Sew There and a private class the following week as well.  

The finished product is what makes this so popular.  It is clean, not stringy, no loose threads hanging about AND they can be washed.  Further, the type of cording used makes them very rigid which allows them to retain their shape and hold heavy items without flopping or getting wonky.  Win, win, win!!

Since I'm sure I'm an undiagnosed ADD adult (confirmed by reading books on the topic and seeing the list of 'signs' and aligning with every.single.one of them), I've always taken something I learn and going to the wall with it, especially if I enjoy it!

This is no different.  I've made rugs out of this technique, I've made purses, I've even made keyfobs!  But the fallback love is baskets and coasters and hot pads.  Probably because those are great gifts and easy to accomplish in a short time frame.

With a little fabric and a lot of cord, creating a useful end product is something that makes it fun and rewarding to do.  I'm all about functionality and usefulness in most projects that draw my sustained interest, I'm sure you are no different.  Those of us who 'mess with' fabric, often find common ground in the purpose of our excitement in learning something new that checks off a few things on our list of "worth doing".

So the sustained interest in this art form doesn't surprise me, but at the same time makes me shake my head in amused wonder that while I have taught so many already, there are more people seeking to learn how to do this.  THANK YOU!  Because I get excited to see the "AHA!" moment when someone learns something new and is excited they did it.  That's what teaching really is all about, the joy of watching someone learn and be excited to know they can and did do it.

Many of those I've taught this technique to have gone forward with it and made gifts of their finished work, others have found that selling them feeds their habit of sewing more of them and the ripple effect reaches far and wide.

I often wonder where some of the baskets people have made have traveled to.  But I enjoy the feeling that because someone learned something new, they've made someone smile being the recipient of that new found talent.  

That's a comforting thought on a cold February day.  Stay warm my friends, and keep creating!

Oh Mercy! Now someone dangled quilted post cards in front of me and off I went!

If you have a friend who asks a simple question "have you ever made a quilted post card", and you are an undiagnosed ADD adult - you know what happens next.
Sure enough, I had to research it and then try it and lo and behold, addicted!
Below are some of the fun cards I've made and have been sending out to people who get my odd sense of humor. As well as some that are more of the traditional variety and good for anyone to receive.



I've had to reactivate an old Etsy account I had years ago to help sell off some of the excess cards I've been making :) Yes, it's that crazy, this love affair I have with making these post cards! Link to my Etsy store is: NBOriginals

As if quilting wasn't enough!

Of late I have been teaching a class on fabric covered baskets.  Not once, not twice, but three times in the last two months!

There are so many varieties of fabric covered corded baskets.  One style doesn't always suit the maker.  Some like them with the raw edges of the fabric exposed, giving it a 'stringy' and scrappy appearance.  Others like the clean look of no raw edges.  Then there are others who like to cover the cording with thread alone or a combination of thread and fabric.  And then there are the dyed baskets, oh how fun that is....providing you remember to wear gloves😏  But should you forget, a quick hand wash with soap and some bleach will help prevent your fingernails from screaming to all "I just dyed something, do you like the color?"  So much for looking ready for the world.

As you can clearly see, the sky is the limit on the number of ways you can create these baskets!

Onto the discussion of what time of cording is best.  Again, a variety of opinions reign supreme here as well.  Personally, I prefer a poly core braided cotton wrapped cording.  Others prefer all cotton.  Some prefer pre dyed cording.  All cotton cording can be soft and very flexible, which is great for tote bags or purses or even placemats ....not so much baskets.

I like the rigidity of the poly cotton braid wrapped cord.  The item holds it shape, even after hand washing!  It truly becomes a vessel able to maintain it's shape when full and even full and carried!  In researching a source of quality cording, it took me a while to find what I was looking for.  WalMart sells it in 100 foot lengths and sometimes the consistency can be off along the length, so I continued to look deeper and finally found I could buy in bulk with continuous rope lengths of 1,500 feet or more.  Not cheaper but much better quality and consistency.

So, have you made any of these fun baskets?  Share your experience in the comment section!

UPDATE: Since beginning teaching this class locally, I have taught no less than 12 classes over the last year, and that accounted for at least 70 students! It's a very popular class and it's fun to make!

SCRAP!

 Do you find yourself overwhelmed with scraps of fabric you can't even think about throwing out?  You are far from alone and while they can get overwhelming, there are ways you can control the chaos until you use them.

Storage for scraps can be accomplished in a whole variety of ways that make them easier to pull out and use.  I have a series of 'bins'.  On my cutting table I have two small baskets that I toss scraps into.  One is for larger pieces, the other for 'bits'.  The 'bits' are so small they cannot be sewn together in a traditional manner, I call them schnibbles.  Here is an example what I do with those schnibbles after I've assembled them into new, useable "whole cloth".  The pockets on the front of this purse have been made with the schnibbles whole cloth.

The process is really easy!  But that's a blog for another day.

Once those bins on the cutting table get full I love them to larger storage containers with lids.  Now, if you prefer, you can sort them by color or even by genre (children, holiday, batiks etc) if that will make you more likely to pull them out and use them.

In my next blog I'll show you some things you can make from 'whole cloth' made from scraps you sew together and how to accomplish those sections of 'whole cloth' .  You will love the process, it's mindless fun and feeds your need to make sure nothing is wasted!  

See you soon