Gee’s Bend Quilting Retreat: Day One

Today, more than 40 quilters gathered to begin planning, cutting, and sewing quilts under the guidance of Mary Ann Pettway and China Pettway, descendants of generations of women whose Gee’s Bend quilts are recognized around the world. I have wanted to attend this retreat for a few years, and was finally able to make it happen. 

Before arriving, we traveled through Montgomery, Selma and Birmingham visiting Civil Rights memorial sites. That part of our journey added depth and context for a quilting tradition rooted in both necessity and history. We came with fabric to use and share, prepared for three days of learning. 

The biggest lesson from day one? Simply go for it.

We were encouraged to sew together fabrics from the scrap bins, then cut them apart and insert new pieces of fabric. What? This is uncomfortable to a quilter who has learned to carefully plan and cut fabrics to follow a specific design or pattern. At first it was troubling. Eventually, it became liberating. 

This is exactly why I came to this retreat. I wanted to free myself of my quilting expectations and embrace improvisational quilting. 

Did it work? Yes. I can’t say I’m delighted with every block I made today and I can definitely say that I don’t know what will become of them. But I was willing to put my prior quilting-self aside and greet a new quilter.