The Quilting Workshop that wasn't....

This past Monday and Tuesday were spent in the company of some very special women. I signed up and paid for a quilting workshop. Instead, I was treated to a cultural experience rich in faith, sharing and genuine love.

China Pettway, Revil Mosley and Louisiana Bendolph all came to Vancouver from Gee's Bend, Alabama accompanied by Matt Arnett of Tinwood Media. Maiwa invited them to give lectures and workshops as part of their 2011 Textile Symposium. I've been trying to figure out a way to share these two days with you and it's sort of difficult. I could just say: 15 of us gathered in the Maiwa textile library, cut and ripped up fabric and sewed it back together again. Because that's essentially what we did.

Or, I could describe my expectations for the workshop, which were not much more than to make a quilt in the style, and spirit, of the many, many quilts I have admired from the quiltmakers of Gee's Bend. Which would mean making something with bold lines, without a plan, out of old clothes.

Louisiana and I, with my 'bricklayer' quilt in progress

There were several experiences I didn't count on. For one, I NEVER expected to use Brown Fabric. Those of you who've spent any time around here know that in the past, I've referred to this colour as evil brown. Well, you won't read that here again. Louisiana has cured me of my aversion and she predicts it won't be long before I'm wearing it. I told her not to push it.

Each day started with song (with plenty more throughout the day). Matt told us all gatherings start with singing and praying. China is a preacher with a preacher's singing voice. Revil sings sweet harmony. Louisiana doesn't sing, but she prayed. They filled us full up on gospel, then thanked God for waking us up that morning, for being together....and for a lot of other things. I'd only been there for 30 minutes, but already felt like anything I made that day would be the best thing I'd ever made.

There wasn't a plan. There wasn't a schedule. No hand outs. The only instruction (and I mean the ONLY instruction given to the entire group over two days) was "start ripping fabric!". China came over to me and asked "what you gonna make?" I said, a quilt. She asked "you ever made a quilt before?" I said, yes, lots. She tilted her head to one side then, and said "well, I dunno what I'm gonna show you then." I showed her the black pants I had brought with me. She didn't believe me that they didn't fit anymore, but they don't. I asked her to show me how she'd start ripping a pair of pants so that she could use them in a quilt top. So, she did.

Each of the three workshop tables was mounded high with fabric scraps supplied by Maiwa and leftover clothing scraps from the previous day's workshops. I brought my black pants, a pair of my husband's bagged out jeans and some solid yardage & FQ's. The top of some fuschia corduroy overalls on the table caught my eye, so I salvaged the biggest bits by peeling the old interfacing off the bib part. I picked out some pleats. There were scraps of some brown jeans in the pile that looked perfect with the fuschia. A start.

Agatha came with me on Day 2 to help with the sewing

Some of my favourite Gee's Bend quilts are courthouse step variations that the ladies call "Bricklayer". I don't recall making a conscious decision, but this is where I headed. At one point, I heard Louisiana say, "no unpicking your sewing". So when I realized I had broken from the courthouse step and made a black log cabin around the entire centre square, I just let it be. That's what these days were all about. Just letting it be. That is, until Matt came by and told me to get some of that aqua in there to bust things up a bit.

I've never ripped fabric for quilting. I do everything with rotary equipment. There is absolutely nothing on my quilt top measured or squared up. The back is a dog's breakfast of wacky seam allowance and different coloured piecing thread from the 4 different machines that were used in it's construction. The whole thing ripples. The worn knees of the jeans pouf out. I asked Louisiana how they dealt with all that and with a wave of her hand she said "you just quilt that out". Ok.

Lou, me, Revil, China

I thought I was done after adding the jean borders. But China and Revil kept digging around the fabric piles and finding more pieces of that brown corduroy skirt I had cut up the day before. So I added a final border. There wasn't enough to go all the way around, so China handed me a hunk of red and said 'use this'. Who was I to say no? Besides, it went with my shoes.

So, there it is. My Gee's Bend-inspired quilt top. In all it's wonky, ripply, unsquare, brown-bordered glory. It just might be the best thing I've ever made. And I am grateful.

There are a few more photos from the class in my flickr stream. Just click on any photo to get there and you can look around and see what some other participants made. And if you ever see that the quilter's of Gee's Bend are giving a workshop anywhere that you can get to, sign up immediately. You won't be sorry.

Gee's Bend Week

The likelihood of a good night's sleep for me tonight is slim. I am super excited about the next two days. I'll be back at Maiwa for a workshop with three of the Gee's Bend Quilters. Last time they came to town, in 2005, I wasn't able to grab a spot in their workshops, so this year I knew I had to be fast on registration day and I managed to score the last place!

The quiltmakers, L-R: Annie Mae Young, Mary Lee Bendolph, Mary Lee Bendolph, Arlonzia Pettway, Mesie Lee Pettway.

Like so many others, I have been fascinated by the quilts made in Gee's Bend ever since they were first exhibited in Houston in 2002. I was lucky enough to see some in person in July, 2004 when Ed Mirvish Books on Art hosted a small exhibit in Toronto. That's where all the photos in this post were taken.

Candis Pettway

After standing with my mouth open in front of every quilt, I sat and watched the video of the quilters made by Tinwood Media. I bought the VHS tape and I bought the coffee table book (it was my birthday, after all). When I returned to Vancouver, I was so anxious to share what I'd learned and seen, I read the book cover to cover and gave a slide show presentation to my guild in the fall.

Nancy Pettway

Last Friday night, I attended a lecture given by three of the quilters, Louisiana Bendolph, China Pettway, Revil Mosley along with Matt Arnett (who, with his father, has mounted the museum shows of quilts, published the womens' stories and traveled around the world, introducing the quilters and their work). Felicity wrote an excellent summary of the lecture you can read on her blog here and there's even a video clip of their amazing singing!!

This is one of my all-time fav quilts. I am smitten by that angled center panel, all protected by the field of light green grounded by the strong red stripe across the bottom...

made by Gloria Hoppins

On a 2009 trip to Sisters, Oregon for the famous outdoor quilt show put on by the Stitchin' Post every July, there were 8 quilters from Gee's Bend in attendance, promoting the second coffee table book, the Architecture of the Quilt. I bought it. They signed it. I cried when they broke into gospel. Look closely at this next photo:

Mensie Lee Pettway

See the labels below the quilt, defining the type of books for sale on the shelves below? How perfect. Now take a look at this next one:

Mary Lee Bendolph

Even more perfect!!!! I just loved that. Modern Art indeed.

These last few photos are all quilts made from colourful corduroy that the women were able to acquire as leftover cuts from the Freedom Quilting Bee - a sewing business not far from Gee's Bend where many worked making commercial bedding for Sears Roebuck at one time. These are some of my favourite quilts, too. The wild colours and how the quilter's used them in their compositions are truly special.

Annie Mae Young

And here you see some classic Gee's Bend work. The denim pant legs sewn right into the quilt top. We are going to deconstruct some clothing in the workshop and make some of our own compositions. I think. We may just sing for two days and that would suit me just fine.

It may take me a little bit to put it all into words and photos for you. I know how lucky I am to have this opportunity and how many of you would enjoy it too, so I promise to share.

Note: the quilts photographed here were hung a storey above the floor where I was standing. I was not able to read the tiny labels 12 feet up on the wall, identifying the each quiltmaker. I'm sorry I cannot identify the individual that created each quilt pictured here.

Edited: Thanks to Matt Arnett who identified each quilt's maker for me!