Mittwoch, 10. Juli 2013

Exploring Gee's Bend

Hi everybody and welcome to my WIPs this week!

I have been working on my first blocks for the Landmädel QAL and am quite satisfied of how the traditional fabrics look in the blocks:

The real challange with the Whirlpool block were the little HST and I had a hard time matching the corners up in the end... So the Whirlpool is kinda odd in the center. I might have to give it another try.
These are the moments where I wish I had a modern Machine with a 1/4'' foot... Although I mark my quater on the fabrics with a marker...

Whirlpool Block for the German Farmer's Wife QAL. Sorry about the bad pictures, I took them with the iphone and it was late... I'll try to get better with taking decent pictures with my camera!


The Calico Puzzle Block turned out just fine! Actually I'd say it is the most precise block I've ever made ;-)


Calico Puzzle Block for the German Farmer's Wife QAL

The past days I have also calculated my fabric needs for the Quilt et Textilkunst Challange and had to resize the blocks to adjust the pattern to the 60x60 cm they require. Puh.. I'll have to work with little 1,5'' squares to make my 9patches... Talking about "Challanges...." Also I have picked the kona-colors that I will use for the quilt.

A couple of days ago, I signed up for a class at the German Quilt Festival: Main Quilt-Festival. After browsing through the classes there was only one project that caught my eye: Free cutting Techniques by Rita Schaffer, who is kind of a famous quilter over here.. I love her last name, because the word is the German for "worker", as in a creative meaning. So I think that name really suites her. Anyways, after getting the course materials she added links on "Gee's Bend Quilts". I have read a short article about them in quilty magazine, but after browsing through links and actually seeing the quilts online I was stunned by their beauty. I cannot believe, after studying art, illustration and graphics for several years and having been in the business for over 7 yrs I have not come across these designs! The colors and patterns are so creative and graphic! Wow wow wow!

I have been researching about Gee's Bend Quilts over the past days and am so happy I will join Rita's class and getting to make a quilt that style! So I'll cut up my husband's and my old jeans to make a crazy quilt :-) So I will start rippin' up  jeans and find coordinating fabric to go with them.


I couldn't resist buying this art-book on the Gee's Bend Quilts! It is beautiful and sure it will inspire me for a long time!

Check out the links hidden in my Text about the collection! They are really worth a look! Still I just have to share this quote from the article on this page cause it is just so sweet and made me smile!



"Collector William Arnett was working on a history of African-American vernacular art in 1998 when he came across a photograph of Young’s work-clothes quilt draped over a woodpile. He was so knocked out by its originality, he set out to find it. A couple of phone calls and some creative research later, he and his son Matt tracked Young down to Gee's Bend, then showed up unannounced at her door late one evening. Young had burned some quilts the week before (smoke from burning cotton drives off mosquitoes), and at first she thought the quilt in the photograph had been among them. But the next day, after scouring closets and searching under beds, she found it and offered it to Arnett for free. Arnett, however, insisted on writing her a check for a few thousand dollars for that quilt and several others. (Young took the check straight to the bank.) Soon the word spread through Gee's Bend that there was a crazy white man in town paying good money for raggedy old quilts."
- Amei Wallach for Smithsonian magazine, October 2006



Last but not least I have joined my first swap! YEAH I'm so excited and have started to make fabric choices for the Triple Zip Pouch that I think my secret partner might like!



Linking up with freshlypieced this Wednesday!

Have a wonderful rest of the week and

Happy Crafting





Keine Kommentare:

Kommentar veröffentlichen