eimay

Currently Gee's Bend has a booth at the Sharonville Creative Arts Festival is Sharonville, Ohio. Tomorrow (June 26) is the last day from 10:00-4:00. It is at the Sharonville Convention Center, Chester Road. (North of Cincinnati, south of I-275.

janRN

BrushandThimble: I wasn't questioning the integrity of the quilters. I recently read an article about a "rift" in the group of quilters regarding money. I guess that happens in a lot of families when large sums of money is involved.

I repeat, I really admire the women and they used what they had and thankfully made a living out of it. My real question is who "owns" the rights to these kits? Who came up with the idea to package their quilting style but make it more in line with what others see as "real" quilting (not MY definition)? I agree that they, and our grandmothers, used what they had and would never be having the debate about Walmart vs. LQS fabrics as is going on on another thread here.

Thanks for continuing this thread and your thoughtful responses.

merrylouw

My husband and I saw this exhibit in Houston several years ago. We, too, were blown away by the use of fabrics at hand: work pants of denim, twill and corduroy; work shirts of all kinds. These ladies made quilts for warmth and comfort (utility quilts), but the finished quilts are so much more. They are truly works of primitive art.

eimay

Jan, the day after I wrote my response, I spoke to the two ladies manning the booth. They both are within the group that "founded" Gee's Bend. They explained to me that the money from the quilts goes back into the community (Gee's Bend is in Alabama). A person connected with some of the members and convinced them that they would get more by working through that person. That person is the one who profits from the kits (this person is from Atlanta ...Georgia...get it?). I guess the women who moved in that person's direction were flattered and that is where the difficulty came in. The original group, still working with whatever is available is GeesBend.net. I hope this clarifies what went on...at least according to the ladies I spoke to. They informed me that they were the family...mom, daughters, aunties, etc. that began the movement. They were very calm in telling me about it, and were probably more hurt that the original idea had taken a partial turn to kits.

TexasGurl

EXACTLY ... and that is what I have a problem with too. We first saw these quilts at a Houston guild mtg some yrs ago. These quilts are Folk Art - primitive, made of whatever they had on hand, and sewn together haphazardly.
What was really FUNNY was the local quilt "expert" who gave the "lecture" on these quilts. She presented them, VERY seriously, as high works of art - of complex construction, deep meanings, technically amazing, ground-breaking etc yada yada yada ... Ad nauseum
It was all the audience could do to keep from laughing - as quilters, WE all saw them for what they WERE - scrappy, messy, utilitarian quilts !!
I'm afraid those like her in the quilt world have gone on to commercialize (& profit) from the Gees Bend quilts.

janRN

Eimay: that was so neat that you got to meet those ladies; I'm afraid I may have sat down with them and never left!! I love the original story-the book is fantastic. I love the originality and innocence of the quilts. This is my complaint about the kits. The kits are the antithesis to the original quilts. As TexasGirl said when "experts" get involved commercialization soon follows. I'm glad they're making a living and supporting themselves and their community and they seem to still like to quilt. How important is that? TexasGirl I don't think I'd have been able to keep quiet if I was in the audience with you!!
My all-time favorite of their quilts has an actual tape measure used as a spacer to join 2 blocks. Deep meaning? I don't think so--it was the right size so she used it!!